Recollections
by LizzeXX
Summary: A collection of one shots based on my Academic Series. Adventures featuring the Doctor and my OC Time Lady, his Bonded, the Professor, either off-screen ones mentioned in the episodes or original ones referenced by the characters in my series. Multiple incarnations.
1. Space Florida

A/N: This is a collection of one shots based on my Academic Series, mostly off-screen adventures that the episodes mentioned or passing remarks of adventures I made up that the characters referenced. I'd recommend reading the Academic Series (Reunion to Remembrance) to understand the relationship between my OC, the Professor, and the Doctor. These one shots won't all be of the 11th Doctor/Professor (though it may seem so at first), some will be of other incarnations of them (from their original selves on Gallifrey to their 11th incarnations now), and won't be in any particular order. At first I'll be able to tell you what the next chapter/adventure is, I have a few written out already, but that won't always happen. Since I have a few written out, this will, at first, be updated daily.

These are mostly requested stories of adventures (off-screen or referenced) that a reviewer wanted to see fleshed out more, so if anyone has requests, just drop a review and let me know :)

~8~ is a scene break.

'_italics_' is the Doctor/Professor speaking telepathically

The title will contain the incarnations of the Doctor and the Professor in respective order (Doctor/Professor).

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who...otherwise Series 7 would be airing already.

~8~

Space Florida (11/11)

"Amy!"

Amy looked up with a gasp from where she was sitting in the library, curled up on a sofa chair, a book open in her lap only to hide the ring box she'd still kept since finding it a few weeks ago in the Doctor's coat pocket.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide, "What did the Doctor do now? Am I going to have to duck and cover or find an escape pod?"

The Professor laughed from where she was leaning in the doorway, before heading into the room, walking around the pool and over to her, "Nothing like that, but come on! You'll never guess where we're going!"

Amy laughed as the Professor pulled her off the chair, managing to set the ring box under the book before the Professor could see it, "Where are we going?" she asked as she was tugged through the corridors by the eager Time Lady.

"Space Florida!" the Professor grinned, so widely that Amy couldn't help but smile as well, getting excited. It was a large beach-like colony floating in space, shaped like a disc with a dome on top of it, the beach enclosed inside.

"How did you manage that?" she nudged the Professor, the beach didn't exactly sound like an adventure the Doctor was game for. It had taken her ages of begging before he'd agreed to go to Rio…and even then it had taken quite a few attempts and other dangers before they managed to actually get there.

She smirked, "I simply explained the benefits of taking a trip to the colony and he was very agreeable."

Amy gave her a look, "Oh, so you just 'explained the benefits' eh?"

"Yes."

"And he just happened to agree with you? No arguments whatsoever?"

"Yes."

Amy smirked, "You kissed him to within an inch of his sanity and _then_ asked him, didn't you?"

"Yes," she laughed, Amy joining her.

"Oh I need a man," Amy sighed, linking arms with the Professor, "Think I might find one on Space Florida?"

The Professor gave her a small, sad smile before making it a real smile as Amy looked at her, "You never know," she offered, not really wanting to think of Amy trying to find any man but Rory, but she couldn't exactly come out and say that, what with the man having never been born, "Come on!" she shook her head, "We must get ready!"

And with that, she pulled Amy into the wardrobe.

~8~

"What's up Doc?" Amy called as she and the Professor entered the control room, before laughing, "Always wanted to say that."

"Amy!" the Doctor cheered, his arm half buried under a panel under the console, tweaking something, "Excellent, we're just about to head off to…" he stood up, turning around, only for his mouth to dry up and fall open, his eyes widening as he just stared.

Amy was wearing her typical tank top, miniskirt, and boots, but with a dark flower print shirt on and pink plastic sunglasses.

But that wasn't what he was looking at. The Professor had forgone her typical attire, choosing a pale yellow thin-strapped tank top, with the straps of a emerald green halter-top bikini peeking out the top of it, tied around her neck. Her hair was up in a messy bun, exposing said neck, he swallowed hard realizing that. Her jacket was gone, her arms bare, and he only barely managed to bite back a groan when he saw the far-too-short pair of light blue jeans she was wearing instead of her skirt, he couldn't help but let his eyes drift down her legs to her dainty feet wearing black flip flops. Forget the skirt he'd gotten her for her exams, he should have gotten her those shorts…

"Doctor?" the Professor called, smirking at him as his head shot back up, a blush creeping up his neck at having been caught out by both of them staring so openly at her.

He cleared his throat and turned back to the console, "The beach!" he shouted though his voice cracked, crouching down so he wouldn't be tempted to stare at the Professor, trying to ignore the sound of Amy sniggering behind him, "The beach is the best."

"Automatic sand!" the Professor added, walking over to the console to check and make sure everything had been set properly this time, she was rather looking forward to this trip and really wanted to get it right on the first go. Not to mention, she was dressed for the beach as well and while she could endure in extremes fairly easily, she would rather not end up in some sort of ice caves with Yeti-like aliens living there wanting to 'have them for dinner' to appease their gods after the Doctor accidently destroyed their temple.

'_Oi!_' the Doctor called, catching her thoughts, '_That only happened once!_' and then he made the mistake of looking over, finding himself face-to-face with her legs...

"Automatic sand?" Amy asked, thankfully pulling his attention away and back to the console, "What does that mean?"

"It's automated, totally," she looked at Amy, moving away from the Doctor's side and around to the other end of the console, continuing her check.

"Cleans up the lolly sticks..." the Doctor added, shaking his head, trying to clear it, not that it helped much. It was oddly hard for him to ever stop thinking of the Professor, and having her in that outfit wasn't helping.

Amy just walked over to a railing, leaning against it, watching them as they set the controls.

"Amy…" she thought she heard the Doctor sigh, but from behind her. She pulled off her sunglasses, turning, and looked around, "Amy?"

She turned back around to face them, "Did you say something?" she asked them.

"Nope!" the Doctor cheered, standing up and clapping.

Amy shook her head and walked over, just managing to grab onto the console when the box started shaking in the typical landing sequence. The Professor and the Doctor ran around the controls, getting the box down and locked.

"We made it!" the Professor smiled, seeing their location on the monitor, they'd actually done it.

"First time for everything eh?" Amy laughed.

"Right!" the Doctor clapped, "Let's head to the beach!"

"What like that?" Amy eyed him as he stood there in his usual outfit but without the jacket.

"What's wrong with this?" he looked down at himself.

The Professor shook her head, "We're at the beach dear, go out there like that and you'll end up very warm and probably very smelly. Amy and I will be forced to throw you into the water."

He rolled his eyes at the small threat but smiled and glanced at the Professor a moment before turning and dashing off.

"No!" the Professor's eyes widened as she tried to run after him, but he'd gotten a head start and had already turned a corner to the anti-gravity lifts before she could even make it up the steps, too far behind to stop him. She let out a huff of air and turned back, walking over to the jump seat and sitting down.

"Do I want to know?" Amy asked her, eyeing her a moment, confused at her reaction.

"Be afraid Amy, be _very_ afraid," the Professor told her, "He's going to pick out his own clothes!"

Amy just laughed, wondering what sort of ridiculous outfit the Doctor would come up with for the beach...

~8~

And continued to laugh even as they walked out onto the beach, picked a spot, and set up with a large rainbow colored beach umbrella and TARDIS blue towels.

The Doctor had decided on a bright, neon green Hawaiian shirt, plaid orange and purple swim trunks, his boots still on, with laughably large sunglasses on his face, a straw lat that was frayed around the rim, and streak of sun block down his nose. He was sitting on a blanket, cross-legged, sipping away at a banana daiquiri with a little umbrella in it, a gleeful grin on his face.

Amy shook her head at him and looked at the Professor who could only give her a 'what did you expect' sort of look. And really, they both should have expected something like this, he _was_ the bow tie wearing alien after all.

Amy was in the process of smoothing out her blanket and pulling off her boots to put on sun block when she heard the Doctor start coughing, nearly sounding like he was choking. She looked over and tried her hardest to hide her smirk.

The Professor had apparently pulled off her tank top to reveal her bikini and the Doctor had had the 'misfortune' of looking over just as she had. Which was why he was now choking on his drink and his face was brilliant red, and not from the sun.

The Professor looked over at Amy and sent her a wink, starting to laugh at the Doctor's reaction, he was now openly staring, '_See something you like?_' she called to him quietly.

He didn't reply for a few moments, putting a hand to his chest, '_You're trying to kill me aren't you?_' he asked her, infinitely relieved he'd managed to convince her to leave her blaster in the beach bag sitting beside him, he didn't think his hearts could take the sight of her holding it now.

'_What would be in that for me?_' she asked him playfully, '_I'd be without my Bonded if I were._'

He just shook his head at her, gulping down his ice cold daiquiri when she started pulling her shorts off to reveal her bottom half, trying his hardest to look anywhere but at her, not an easy thing to do.

Space Florida was quite beautiful, if a bit smaller than the original. It was more like a space station that was just an enormous beach. It was literally sand, with a make-shift ocean, waves, salt water, a holographic sky to make it seem like the water really went out into the ocean. But if you squinted and really looked you could just see the stars past the projection, quite a lovely sight really. The temperature was controlled as well, making the sand warm enough not to burn your feet, the air hot enough to make you feel like you were at the beach without fear of heatstroke, the water cool enough to refresh…

There were people and aliens filling the beach up and down the length of it as far as the eye could see, small lifeguard stalls set up despite the fact the water was automated as well, if anyone were in danger of drowning it would turn into a pudding like consistency and buoy the person to the surface till they calmed or help could reach them. The water was a crystal blue, sparkling, the sand a perfect tan, clean, there was even a soft breeze blowing.

"Doctor?" the Professor called.

He looked over, nearly jumping out of his skin seeing her kneeling right in front of him, "Oh! Sorry."

She smiled, "A little help?" she asked, holding up a small tube of sun block and turning around, gesturing to her back.

He took the tube and stared at her skin for a moment, swallowing hard and looking over to see Amy was standing half in the ocean already, which explained why the Professor had decided to torture him like this. He squeezed some of the lotion onto his hands and applied it to her back, giving her shoulders a little squeeze in the process, kneading the muscles of her back just a bit as he worked.

She gave a soft moan, "You're quite good at that," she told him, looking over her shoulder at him.

"At what?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Massaging," she replied, thoughtful, "Will you give me one later?"

"Anything for you dear."

"And I'll be sure to return the favor. Or…" she trailed off.

He frowned a moment, "Or?"

She turned around, "I could give you a massage now."

He blinked, "Now?"

She nodded, moving closer, "But, of course, we'd have to do something about this…" she reached out and snuck her hands under his open shirt, by his shoulders, moving closer as she pushed his shirt off him, making him lie back the closer she came…

He swallowed hard, his breath hitching, she wouldn't. Not here. Would she?

"Kata…" he said quietly, trying to warn her away from what she might be planning even as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Too bad there's children around," she pushed herself back up, smirking at him, "Wouldn't want to scar them."

And with that, she jogged off back to the water's edge where Amy was.

He sat there for a good few minutes, his mouth open, breathing quite heavily, before flopping down onto his back. He was sure of it now, she was trying to kill him…that or drive him insane.

~8~

The Doctor was, for quite possibly the very first time, consciously contemplating homicide.

He was sitting there, steaming in a way that had nothing to do with the sun. The tube of sun block the Professor had left with him was mangled in his hands, the lotion all over the towel beside him as he glared out into the distance, his shoulders tensing, breathing hard.

There weren't just families or aliens at the beach…there were…men.

A number of men really. Good looking men, large men, with large muscles. Large, muscular, good looking men…ogling the Professor.

Possibly Amy too.

But also the Professor!

And that would not do. She was _his_. His Bonded. His WIFE.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he'd discarded his sunglasses and boots, and was up and walking…more like stalking…down the sand and towards the water. The Professor and Amy were in the ocean, the water halfway up their bodies, splashing each other in jest and laughing, as though they were oblivious to the men staring at them.

He snuck up right behind the Professor, how he'd managed to do that, he wasn't entirely sure, probably because of the noise of the ocean, the noises of the beach, the splashing, possibly her having water in her ears, and the fact that his movements were masked by moving through water, whatever reason it was, he didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her waist, making her squeal just a bit in laugher when he scooped her up and spun her around.

She laughed as he put her down and he was very pleasantly surprised when she pulled him into a kiss as soon as she'd turned in his arms. He pulled her closer when she moved to pull back, smirking as he kissed her more. Very, _very_ pleased when she gave in to his prolonged kiss and put her arms around him, his around her waist. He picked her up just a bit and spun her around once more. She pulled away, laughing, as he set her down again.

"What was that for?" she asked, smiling, breathless.

"Just wanted to ravish my beautiful Bonded," he told her, though his gaze flickered over her shoulder at the men standing there, stunned, their mouths open in disbelief as they stared at _him_ and her. It almost looked as though they couldn't believe what they'd just seen. Their expressions reminded him of Craig's football team when they'd learned he was married.

The Professor gave him an odd look, seeing his attention drift, and looked back over her shoulder to see the men and back at him as he gave them a hard look. She started laughing, working it out, "Somebody's jealous," she half sang, teasing him, poking him in the chest.

"Am not," he murmured, though he still didn't look away from his stare down with the men.

She rolled her eyes, smiling at him as she shook her head, "How long were they staring?"

He blinked and looked at her, his eyes wide, almost confused, "What?"

"They must have been for a while for you to get this worked up."

"No, not that," he shook his head, "You…didn't notice them?"

"Why would I notice them?" she asked, taking his hands between them.

"Well…" he blinked, not having expected that. He'd thought she was just ignoring them, "They weren't being subtle…"

She gave a little laugh, putting her arms around his neck, "The only man I notice is you Theta," she told him quietly, "Only you," she glanced at the men and back at him, "This whole beach could be filled with men, and I'd still only see you."

He smiled at her, pulling her closer into a gentle kiss, "I've only ever seen you too," he whispered in her ear as he pulled away, still holding her close.

"Now…how about we take a walk?" she asked him, "I think Amy's found a way to keep herself occupied for now."

He looked over to see Amy had gone back to their spot, lying on her towel, tanning. He frowned a moment, now that he thought about it, Amy hadn't seemed to notice the men either. But he shook his head, they'd both worked out that she clearly still remembered Rory in a way, she wouldn't notice the men in that way either, her heart wouldn't let her.

"I'd love to," he grinned, kissing the back of her hand as he took it, leading her off, smirking as he heard the men grumbling as they passed.

~8~

The Doctor couldn't stop smiling as he gazed at the Professor, the two of them walking hand-in-hand down the stretch of the beach, just along the water, feeling the waves crash into their feet as they walked on. He swung their arms between them, just too happy to care what others thought or if they looked stupid doing so. He was in a beautiful place, walking beside a beautiful woman, having a beautiful time. He wasn't even perturbed by the fact that there hadn't been some sort of danger looming around the corner or that they hadn't gotten into some sort of situation that had them running from the authorities. And, to be honest, he wasn't sure he wanted there to be some sort of situation like that, he really didn't want anything to ruin this moment.

They walked up to a line of rocks jutting out into the water and grinned at each other, moving to climb over them, ready to explore what might be on the other side. They were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a small little grove beyond, wedged in between another line or rocks jutting out, creating a little nook, almost like a little private beach. It was as beautiful as the rest of the beach, and the best part was that it was empty, it was more private than the rest of the beach, and just begging to be explored.

They headed down into it, the Professor tugging him by the hand over to a curve in the rocks, sitting down with him, placing herself between his legs, his arms around her, as they watched the waves come in, the sun seeming to be about to set in the distance.

"It's so beautiful," the Professor murmured, smiling as she watched the scene before them.

"It's alright I suppose," the Doctor countered. She blinked and looked at him, confused, "I've seen better," he looked at her pointedly.

"You're sweet," she leaned up to give him a peck but someone had other ideas.

The Doctor reached out and cupped her face, holding her to him as he deepened the kiss, smiling as he felt the Professor shiver in his arms and turn in them to kiss him properly…

It was a rather good thing the nook was as private as it was for the kiss quickly turned into something more…

~8~

"Amy!"

"Oh what now?" Amy groaned, blinking awake at the sound of the Doctor shouting. She'd just pushed her sunglasses onto her forehead when she felt someone grab her arm and yank her up, "Ow, what happened?" Amy asked, watching as the Professor grabbed their towels and bag, the Doctor grabbing the umbrella before trying to pull her away even as she grabbed for her boots.

"We have to go, now," the Doctor told her, sounding a bit frantic, a red tint on his neck and cheeks, "Quickly now!"

"Why?" Amy asked as they ran across the beach, and then she noticed a few men in shorts and windbreaker jackets running across the beach after them, 'Security' written across the jackets, "Doctor what did you do?"

"Why does everyone always assume it was me?" he grumbled as they ran up a dune.

"Because it usually is," Amy remarked, "Now tell me!"

"I forgot to check the layout of the beach," the Professor told her as they ran towards a line of stands where people were selling refreshments.

"And?" Amy shook her head, "What does that have to do with why we're being chased?"

"Apparently Space Florida has security cameras blended into the sky," the Professor told her.

"Ok…still not getting it."

"The cameras were put in place to prevent crimes," the Doctor explained quickly, "Assault, fights, arson…other assaults…"

Amy nodded, understanding what type of 'other assaults' there might be in such a place with many people scantily clad, the temptations…

"They prohibit any such actions," the Professor added, "Even if the…other assaults…are consensual…"

Amy's eyes widened, "Oh my God, you're a cocktail!"

"A what?" the Doctor stopped suddenly and turned to Amy, confused.

"No time!" the Professor reminded him, tugging his arm.

"Right, later," he decided, the three of them running towards the TARDIS, rushing through the doors and slamming them shut behind them, not stopping till they'd gotten to the console and sent themselves into the Vortex.

The Doctor looked at the Professor, the two of them panting a bit from the run in the heat, before laughing, Amy joining in.

A moment later though, the Doctor looked at Amy, "A cocktail?"

Amy just shook her head, patting his shoulder as she headed for the stairs. For a man who knew almost everything about time and space, he was rubbish at other bits of information.

The Doctor frowned, watching her go, before turning to the Professor, "A cocktail?"

The Professor just leaned over and whispered in his ear exactly what Earth drink Amy was referring to.

The Doctor's eyes widened as she pulled away and he looked at her, "What goes through the minds of Earthlings to name a drink after _that_?"

She smirked, "What goes through the minds of Time Lords to do something like that?"

He looked at her, "My wife is so beautiful and if I don't do something soon, I'll go absolutely mad," she looked at him oddly and he leaned forward to rest his head to hers, "What was going through my mind."

She smiled, closing her eyes, "My husband is far too good a kisser, far too…_tempting,_" she opened her eyes, "What I was thinking."

He kissed her quickly before taking her hand, the two of them heading into the corridors.

A/N: Three guesses which cocktail they were lol.

Next chapter: The Doctor's 1000th Birthday


	2. The Doctor's 1,000th Birthday

The Doctor's 1,000th Birthday (11/11)

The Doctor woke slowly to the faint sensation of someone shifting to sit on the edge of the bed beside him before a soft pressure was placed on his lips. He started grinning, returning the kiss as his eyes blinked open to see the Professor smiling down at him already dressed.

"Happy 1,000th Birthday!" she whispered, giving him another kiss.

He groaned a bit, flopping back on the bed slightly, "I feel so old!"

The Professor laughed, "I'm only two years younger than you, are you calling me old too?"

He looked at her a moment and pushed himself up to kiss her quickly.

She pushed him away gently after a moment, "Trying to avoid the question are we?"

"Not at all," he smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "I'd just rather spend the time for an answer kissing my beautiful Bonded."

She smiled, kissing him quickly again, "Come on old man," she got up, "I've got a birthday surprise for you!"

He sat up quickly, his eyes wide with excitement, "A birthday surprise? What is it?"

She shook her head, "Nope, not telling."

He pouted, "Please? It's my birthday."

"Which is exactly why I'm not saying," she pointed at him, "Come on, meet me in the control room when you're ready, we've got a big day ahead!"

He smiled, watching her disappear out the door, and quickly scrambled out of the bed, racing to get ready.

~8~

"So what's my surprise?" the Doctor called as he half ran into the control room to see the Professor just putting down the phone on the console, "What're you doing?"

"Nothing," she told him, smiling far too innocently for him to believe her. She rolled her eyes, "It's a part of your surprise."

"_Part_ of?" he eyed her, trying to get something else out of her, some more information. Good Lord, he realized, she was starting to rub off on him, look at him, wanting to gather information instead of barging in headfirst.

"Yes, part of," she nodded, walking over, her hands behind her back before pulling one out, "And here's the first part."

He looked down at the small blue paper in her hand, unfolding it to see a note written in silver ink, well, really it was more like a riddle. He gave her a look before reading the note.

_Your curiosity now be mine to pique,  
The gardens of botany, a clue, you seek.  
Look for a flower, though I feel I should warn,  
Breathe in its sweet scent but beware of its thorns._

He blinked and read the note once more before looking up at the Professor smiling eagerly, "Well then," he grinned, "Let's go!"

And with that he ran to the console, pulling a lever and twisting a knob, sending them off after his first clue.

~8~

The Doctor tugged the Professor by the hand through the botanical gardens, looking for the roses, knowing that's what the clue had been about, whatever the next clue was, he'd find it there. And he was so excited! This was just like the Professor to plan some whole elaborate treat for him. And a treasure hunt! It combined all his very favorite things, adventure, puzzles, and a reward at the end. Oh, he couldn't wait to find out what it was that he'd get at the very end.

"Theta calm down," the Professor laughed, the two of them being the only ones in that area of the gardens, "You're going to pull my arm out of its socket!"

"Sorry!" he shouted, but made no move to slow, he was too excited.

The Professor rolled her eyes and pulled him to her, kissing him quickly, trying to calm him.

He pulled away and smirked at her, "That, my dear," he whispered, sensing her thoughts, "Had the opposite effect of calming me down."

She let out a mock groan and dropped her head onto his shoulder, shaking it, making him laugh, "Now come on!" he cheered, taking her hand and pulling her off again, "I see the rose bushes!" she laughed as he jogged over…completely oblivious of the thorns as he dashed into the middle of them.

She shook her head fondly at him when she heard him yelp, getting stuck by said thorns, but then he cheered, "Found it!" he grinned, laughing as he dashed out again, "Ha ha!" he held up the folded blue note, waving it around before her, before kissing her and opening it to read the next clue.

_Try to find the clue at stake,  
Royal effort you must make.  
Hope you figure out this verse,  
Hospital, a place where patients come first._

He frowned, reading it again, and once more, muttering to himself as he read it out loud. He looked at the Professor smirking a bit before turning back to the paper, then her again, "Um…" he shook his head, holding it up, "Seriously?"

This clue made no sense.

"Take your time," she told him, "We've got all day."

"A hint?" he asked.

She shook her head, "You'll get it."

He pouted a moment before stepping closer with a smile, "Please? One little tiny hint?"

"Nope."

"Pretty please," he stared at her, his eyes wide, a small frown on his face.

She blinked, "Are you trying 'sad eyes' on me Theta?"

"That depends," he remarked, "Is it working?"

"No."

He let out a little groan, "Please Kata," he looked at her again.

"Theta," she laughed, "Despite saying it, there _are_ times where you can think as fast, or even faster, than me. Just try. Really look. Use your eyes..."

"Notice everything," he finished for her, nodding as he looked at the note again. Well, the first line was fairly straight forward, the location of the next clue was at stake. The next line, was what didn't fit, royal effort…did that mean it would take a royal effort to work it out? Or could it possibly mean that royals were somehow involved? Was the next clue in Buckingham Palace? But then the last line…it talked about hospitals. A hospital then? But which one? Every hospital put their patients first…

He blinked, noticing something about the first words of the verse…and nearly smacked himself.

Try. Royal. Hope. Hospital.

The first words of the verse were the clue! Yes!

"You've got it," she smiled, seeing realization dawning on his face.

"Can we take the TARDIS?" he looked at her.

On the way through the gardens she had told him that the TARDIS was off limits, it was a true treasure hunt, on foot, human methods of transportation. She didn't doubt he'd try to use the TARDIS to cheat and run a scan or something for the treasure, whatever it might be. So she'd insisted they leave the box for this adventure, promising to return to it later, but for now, go it the human way.

"No!" she laughed, tugging his arm, "I told you, no cheating."

"But Kata…" he nearly whined, it would take _so long_ to get to the next clue!

"As the humans say, patience is a virtue Theta," she reminded him, tugging him back through the gardens.

~8~

The Doctor nearly ran into Royal Hope Hospital, looking around for the next note, for anything blue really…only to frown, seeing nothing. He turned to the Professor, confused, and she just smiled at him, taking pity, "Think," she told him, giving him what might be his only hint, "I picked this hospital for a reason."

He nodded, Royal Hope Hospital, where they'd met Martha Jones. Where they'd stop the Plasmavore. Where the MRI machine had nearly…the MRI machine!

He bolted down the hall, the Professor laughing as she followed behind him, the two of them racing up the stairs, heading for the MRI room, the room they'd saved the Earth from. He ran into the room, not bothering to check if anyone was in there using it, but was pleased to see it was empty for now.

"Ah ha!" he cheered, running over to the control room, seeing a blue note stuck to the window of it. He snatched it off and quickly unfolded it, reading the note quickly, getting very, _very_ excited now. He had a suspicion what the clues were related to, but he wouldn't know for sure till he got them all.

_Roses are red, violets are blue,  
Bees are yellow, you know it's true.  
The nearest park, you'll find a clue,  
By the hive of a tree so new._

He started to smile, now he was nearly certain he knew what the clues were about. Roses, the hospital, and now bees? Rose, Martha, Donna, all clues related to them, to his Companions, in some way. He looked over at the Professor, standing behind him, leaning against the doorframe, and just studied her a moment, a soft look in his eyes. This was so her, making this adventure, this hunt, special and meaningful for him, incorporating something of his previous Companions in the clues. She was so thoughtful like that.

"Figure it out?" she asked.

He just continued to look at her, the smile still on his face.

She gave him a look, "Theta?"

He walked over to her and kissed her, pulling her closer, not bothering to stop even as visitors, doctors, and patients walked past the hallway behind them, until they could barely breathe, "You are amazing," he whispered to her, brushing a hair behind her ear, "Have I told you that lately?"

"I believe you just did," she kissed him again, a small one so as not to tempt him.

"You are," he repeated, smiling, "Truly, absolutely, fantastically amazing. My Bonded."

"MY Bonded," she countered, knowing how much he loved it when she 'got all possessive' of him.

He laughed a bit, kissing her forehead, before taking her hand and heading for the stairs, he had a park to find.

~8~

It had taken much longer than he thought it would to find a new tree in the park, it seemed they'd just undergone some landscaping work and planted a plethora of new trees all around. None of them seemed to have a beehive in them yet. He'd nearly given up and resorted to trying to tease a hint out of the Professor when he'd heard a buzzing noise. He looked over and spotted a small spattering of flowers around a newer tree, a small beehive in the works on one of its branches.

He beamed and ran over to it, seeing the blue note stuck to its small trunk, ripping it off.

_You asked me once but I could not respond,  
Of how a duck pond could be a duck pond,  
Without any ducks around it or in,  
Find this pond here and the next clue you'll win._

He laughed, and there was Amelia Pond and the duck pond that was her life. He looked around squinting, trying to see if there was a pond nearby when he slapped his neck suddenly, "Ow!" he frowned, turning to the Professor, pouting, "A bee just stung me!"

She laughed, reaching out to take his hand, tugging him away from the hive, "Perhaps if you step away from the bees then…"

He rolled his eyes playfully, kissing the back of her hand, before walking off with her in search of the duck pond.

~8~

They found the pond reasonably fast, it was off in a small children's section, it even had a few ducks scattered about being fed pieces of bread by the children who had gathered around it. The Doctor stood there a few moments, just watching the children playing, a soft smile on his face that was not missed by the Professor as she looked back and forth between the children and him.

He blinked a moment later, shaking his head, and stepped past the children, spotting a blue note stuck to a bench just behind the pond. He snatched it up, plopping down on the bench in the process, as the Professor came to sit beside him. He wound his arm around her waist automatically, letting her lean on his shoulder, reading the note with him.

_Across the street is a little shop,  
Why don't you go in and make a stop?  
There's an item you'll find for beauty,  
This one's not sonic I guarantee._

He turned and kissed her on the side of her head, and now he had Sarah Jane. It really meant so much to him that she was including not only his recent Companions but his older ones as well, the ones he'd had before the war. And he was fairly certain which beauty product he was supposed to be looking for.

~8~

It had admittedly taken him a bit longer to get to the beauty section of the little shop than it should have. They'd walked past the sweets and he'd gotten distracted, especially when he'd spotted Jelly Babies among the treats. He turned to her with a hopeful expression and she'd just laughed, pulling a bag of Jelly Babies out of her pocket for him to munch on. Apparently she'd guessed that he would get distracted by the sweets and had gone ahead to get him his beloved Jelly Babies as a small present for his adventure beforehand.

He ate them happily as he wandered up and down the beauty section, looking for the lipsticks. And then the Professor realized he'd gotten so distracted by the Jelly Babies that he'd walked past them twice before she snatched the bag back, hiding them till he focused, promising to return them when he'd found the next clue.

He cheered excitedly when he finally noticed the blue note stuck in the middle of the red lipsticks and spun to her, holding out a hand for the bag. She rolled her eyes and handed it over, as promised, but not before snatching a Jelly Baby or two for herself and popping them into her mouth as he laughed, opening the note.

_Tick tock goes the clock, the old saying goes,  
To your final clue, you are very close.  
The clock shop down the street is where time flies,  
Inside a clock is where you'll find your final prize._

He frowned a moment, a bit confused by the clue. Not the clue itself but who it was meant to relate to. All the previous clues had had something to do with his Companions, but this one…he shook his head, perhaps it was just meant to relate to the TARDIS? To them? To their adventures through time?

He didn't know, but he couldn't help but grin widely, he loved treasure hunts, but even more so, he loved getting to the prize at the end. He couldn't wait! He quickly took the Professor's hand and pulled her towards the exit. They only had one more stop!

~8~

The shop was old. Very old, based in antique clocks of all sorts, wall clocks, table clocks, grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, and many others. They stepped through the door, a small bell sounding above them, though no shopkeeper came out to greet them. He looked back at the Professor, wondering about that, but she just smiled and nodded ahead, encouraging him to explore, find the last clue.

He walked into the shop, eyeing all the clocks. He pouted a moment, even if the Professor hadn't snatched the sonic off him just after they'd stepped out of the TARDIS, he wouldn't have been able to use it, all the clocks were wood. He wandered around the shop, eyeing each of the clocks in turn. He didn't exactly eye the smaller clocks, there was no space in them to hide a prize. But the larger clocks, mostly the grandfather clocks caught his eyes. He checked them all and the last one was, of course, the one he found the prize in.

He smiled softly, seeing a small blue note stuck to the pendulum as it swung back and forth. He opened the case, and looked at the pendulum, watching as it went back and forth before reaching out and snatching the note off it. He opened it, excited, only to frown a moment seeing only an arrow pointing down. He blinked and put the note in his pocket, looking further into the clock to see a small device lying on the bottom of it.

He reached in and pulled out at Vortex Manipulator. He stood, turning to the Professor to see her grinning. He strapped it on, eyeing her, "This is preset to take me to my surprise, isn't it?"

"Only one way to find out," she remarked, walking over to him and winding her arm through his.

He grinned and slammed his hand down in it, the two of them disappearing…

~8~

The Doctor blinked, seeing himself inside the TARDIS, facing the main doors. He tilted his head a bit, confused, when he felt the Professor step away from him, more behind him. He moved to turn and ask her why they were back in the TARDIS when…

"SURPRISE!" a chorus shouted.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around, his hand pressing to the center of his chest, as he stared, wide eyed, mouth open, at the sight before him.

There, gathered around the console were all his dearest friends, his Companions. Martha Smith nee Jones with her husband Mickey and their families, Wilf, Captain Jack, Amy and Rory Pond, Sarah Jane and her family, Jo Jones nee Grant and her family, the Brigadier, Teague, Ben, Polly, Harry, Dorothy who he refused to call Dorothy as she would always be Ace to him, Ian and Barbara Chesterton, Liz Shaw, among many others, even River Song had joined them! It seemed like every living Companion of his on Earth was there, the only people missing being Rose and Donna.

"What…" he gaped at them.

"Happy Birthday," the Professor smiled.

He stared at her, "You did this…"

Now seeing her hanging up the phone made more sense.

She nodded, "It's a big day for you," she took his hand off his chest, squeezing it, "Not one I know you'd want to spend alone. _You_ would want to spend it with family. So that's who I brought together, your family."

He smiled at her, tears in his eyes as what she'd done for him, before leaning in and kissing her gently…until Jack decided wolf whistling was the appropriate action and they'd broken apart to the laughter of his family.

He grinned, walking over to hug all his former Companions, shaking hands and bestowing Gallic air kisses as he went. So, _so_ touched and thankful for his beautiful Bonded. This _was_ a big deal, a significant moment in Gallifreyan celebrations, his first quadruple digit birthday, of course he'd want to spend it with family. And to see them all, back together again, for this…to know he still meant so much to them...he couldn't describe it.

He felt like he should have been a bit more hesitant to see them all again, knowing how much people still wanted to travel with him even after they'd parted, especially Amy being the most recent, but…he knew, he wouldn't take them with him, not now. Seeing them again was one thing, taking them on adventures was another, but…he also knew that the Professor had most likely told them that, made it clear, before she'd gotten them all together. He had no idea how she'd been able to do it, but that was his Kata, always full of surprises. And really, this was the greatest gift she could have ever given him.

'_Oh this isn't your gift,_' he heard her in his mind, '_This is just the party._'

He looked over his shoulder at her to see her walking down the steps from the halls with Jack and Rory, her carrying a sheet of cake, the men with trays of drinks. He laughed, walking over to a small table that had been set up with a chair. And, of course, there was no candle on the cake that had a mess of symbols the others couldn't read, save, perhaps, River, being a child of the TARDIS and all.

Happy Birthday Theta, in Gallifreyan.

They didn't typically have cake parties on Gallifrey, but for his 1,000th, such an important point in his life, an Earth based party was _just_ what he wanted.

Of course, putting 1,000 candles on any cake would probably end up setting fire to not only him but the TARDIS as well, and so a single sparkler had been set in its place. Just like him, so full of life, enduring, lasting longer than a candle, and far, _far_ more impressive.

His Kata had truly thought of everything.

The Professor smiled and started singing 'Happy Birthday' to him, handing out the drinks while the others joined in, all of them cheering once they'd finished, watching as he took a sip of his banana daiquiri, laughing as the Professor walked over and put a blue cone hat on his head, kissing his cheek. They couldn't help but smile when he kissed her in thanks.

Once the sparkler had diminished and been removed the Doctor dove in, cutting up the cake and handing out pieces before digging in himself, laughing as he tasted the banana cake with banana pudding between it. Even after all this time, bananas were still his favorite.

After the cake had been eaten, everyone mingling, the Professor quickly checked her watch before she leaned over and kissed him again, "I've got another surprise for you," she told him.

"Another?" he smiled, laughing, she was just full of surprises it seemed.

"Come here," she pulled him to the console, the others watching him with smiles, knowing what the surprise was, Wilf had explained it to them as they were waiting for the Doctor and gathering, setting up for the party.

He watched as she brought the monitor over, turning it on to reveal the street just outside the doors. He frowned, confused, and looked at her, "Wait a moment," she whispered, pointing to the monitor. He watched as, only moments later, Donna Temple-Noble walked past with Shawn, her stomach clearly showing she was pregnant.

His eyes widened, tears in them as he looked upon his old Companion, "That's all because of you," the Professor whispered to him, turning him to face her as Donna walked off screen, "She's alive and well because of you. She's safe, on Earth, which is also safe, thanks to you. She can have that amazing life we both know she's capable of because of you my love," she cupped his cheek, smiling as she saw him starting to smile as well, believing it, "I'm just sorry I couldn't get her in here…"

"It doesn't matter," he whispered, pulling her hand away to kiss her palm, knowing why Donna couldn't be with them, "That was more than enough."

Her smile turned a bit sad, "I'm also sorry Rose couldn't be here," she added, seeing Jack, Mickey, and Martha look over at that, hearing them, "I know she was important to you, being your first Companion after the war…"

"I'm not sorry," he cut in, actually surprising her by the glare he was giving to no one in particular. He blinked a moment later and looked at her, his expression softening, confusing her a moment, "I'm glad she's not here."

He still couldn't get over what Rose had said about the Professor, what had happened because of the girl's actions, what he'd nearly lost because of her. He hadn't told the Professor of the argument he'd had with Rose before they'd left her back in the parallel world and he didn't think he ever would. What Rose had said…he could feel his hands itching to clench into fists at just the thought, and forced himself to calm down.

He gave the Professor a quick peck and went to talk to a few of his older Companions as Martha headed up to her, "What was that about?" the woman asked the Time Lady. From how the Doctor had acted when she'd travelled with them, Rose would be one of the first people he'd want there.

"I have no idea," the Professor replied softly, before shaking her head. She knew that, even with Rose having released the Daleks from the Time Lock, the Doctor wouldn't have reacted quite as angrily as he had. She had seen it, the much darker anger in his eyes, when she'd returned to the control room after Donna and the half human Doctor had examined her in the med-bay. She hadn't asked him what happened that made him that much more angry at Rose, if he wanted to tell her, he would. If he didn't, then it was for a good reason and she wouldn't pry, she respected his desire to keep some things to himself. Not to mention, she wasn't exactly fond of Rose, so she hadn't exactly been upset at the thought of the girl not being there, but she thought he would have been, that the dark anger would have faded over time. But if he wasn't and it hadn't, she wouldn't worry herself over why. She wasn't exactly fond of talking about Rose.

"Hey Doc!" Jack called as she and Martha walked down the steps and back to the group, "Got a little something for you!" he grinned, walking over to the Doctor and putting an arm around his shoulders, holding up a banana before him.

"Ha ha," the Doctor laughed, smiling as he took it, "Thanks Jack."

"Thought you might like it."

"I like bananas," he remarked, "Bananas…"

"Are good," nearly half the people gathered said at the same time as him with a roll of their eyes.

He just stuck his tongue out at them, winding his arm around the Professor's waist as she came to stand beside him.

"I actually have something for you too," River called, walking over with Amy and Rory whom she'd been talking to. The Professor wasn't entirely sure how River had known what was going on with the party. She hadn't been sure where River was in their timelines and hadn't known which River at which point to invite…but this River had just shown up, apparently right on time.

"You didn't have to get me anything, really," the Doctor told her, he really didn't want his Companions to feel like they _had_ to get him a gift. Just having them there was gift enough.

"I didn't technically _get_ you anything," River corrected lightly, "I mean it's nearly impossible to shop for you anyway, what do you get the man who has everything?"

"He's hardly got everything," Mickey remarked, "He don't even have money," he added, recalling a few adventures he'd gone on with them between meeting Madame De Pompadour and staying in the parallel world, where the Doctor had made him pay because, for all that bigger-on-the-inside pocket space, he didn't carry money.

River shook her head, "He's got the TARDIS to travel the Universe in, friends to share the adventure with, and the Professor as his Bonded," she blinked, "That's all he's ever wanted, and he's got it all."

The older Companions smiled at each other, happy that they'd managed to play a part in his happiness, while the newer ones looked at him as he blushed, all of them a bit confused as to how River knew that particular detail of his deepest desires.

"Which was why I didn't _get_ you anything," River continued, "But I did _find_ something I think you'd like to see again," she pressed a button on her own Vortex Manipulator, acting like a comm., "Come on in."

There was a small crackle of energy as someone appeared before them.

The Doctor's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open again as he stepped away from the Professor and through his Companions, over to the young woman standing beside River by the main doors. He looked her over, her blonde hair was down in a braid that fell to the side of her neck, her blue eyes shining. She was wearing a light green, long sleeved shirt with missing patches where her shoulders were, short enough to reveal a bit of her stomach, black cargo pants that went to her feet, wearing small black shoes and a light green ranger cap on her head.

She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling as she did so, "Hello dad."

"Jenny?" he breathed, absolutely stunned to see her, alive, looking well, just a bit older than when he'd last seen her.

"Happy birthday soldier," she laughed.

He shook his head, reaching out to hug her tightly, pulling away a moment later to cup her face in his hands, beaming at her, "Look at you!"

She laughed, "Look at me? Look at you!" she countered, before blinking and frowning as something caught her eye, "Is that a…bow tie?"

"Bow ties are cool," he defended automatically, before shaking his head, "How…"

"The terra-forming hadn't quite set in yet," Jenny answered, "Brought more than just the planet to life."

He laughed, hugging her again before he saw the Professor in the corner of his eye, standing there with Martha beside her, the woman with her arm around the Time Lady's shoulder. She was standing there, smiling at them, tears in her eyes, her hands clasped and pressed to her mouth as she just smiled, happy.

"Jenny," he pulled away a moment, "Let me introduce you again to your..." he told her, turning, about to point out the Professor when…

"Mum!" Jenny shouted, running and half barreling into the Professor, hugging her tightly as she nearly knocked her off her feet.

The Professor laughed, spinning as she held her daughter to her, hugging her tightly, "Jenny…"

Jenny pulled away a moment and smiled at her mother, almost sadly, "Oh mum you changed too?" she mock whined a bit.

"How did you know it was me?"

"You're the only one who reacted like a mother would," Jenny shrugged, "I use my eyes, I..."

"Notice everything," the Professor said at the same time as her.

Jenny laughed, "I learned that from watching you," she told her before hugging her mother again, "Oi! Father get over here!" she called, opening an arm to him.

The Doctor laughed and ran over, hugging the two of them to him, his girls, in a small little group hug.

"You're alright," the Professor breathed in Jenny's ear, squeezing her once more, tears in her voice, she still couldn't believe Jenny was alive.

"Course I am," Jenny pulled away, beaming, "You're my mum and dad, I'm your daughter. I'm just too good."

They laughed, hugging each other again as Martha quietly explained who Jenny was to the others, all of them turning to watch, tears in their eyes as they saw the little family reunited. River looking on just a bit more sadly than the rest.

~8~

"Best birthday ever," the Doctor whispered into the Professor's ear as they stood in the now empty control room, leaning against the console, his arm around her, "Thank you for that," he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It's not over yet," she reminded him.

"Oh yes…my present," he grinned, excited. He couldn't imagine what else she could have possibly gotten him.

She'd already given him an adventure, a treasure hunt, a wonderful surprise, the chance to see all his past Companions and spend an important time in his life with them, a delicious banana cake and drink, and wired in Jenny's Vortex Manipulator to the TARDIS mainframe so that when they wanted to check in on her they could…what else could there possibly be?

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a disc, handing it to him. He eyed it a moment before turning and slotting it into the console, turning on the speakers. A moment later a song filled the room.

For what he was sure was the hundredth time that day his mouth dropped open and he stared at her in wonder. The song was a familiar one to him, one from their planet, his favorite song in fact. But it wasn't just the fact that it was playing, but that it sounded _exactly_ like it should have. Every single instrument sounded perfect. How was that even possible? He'd only managed to save three instruments from Gallifrey, the others being destroyed with the planet…how…

"Do you remember how you made me Pora," she said softly, sensing his thoughts, remembering the treat he'd made her ages ago to help her recover from the Krillitanes. He nodded, still too stunned to really speak, "Well this is my Pora for you," she nodded back at the disc slot, "Lots of experimentation and substitution."

He shook his head, just staring at her, it must have taken her _ages_ to be able to put that piece together. To find the instruments similar to the ones from their planet, to see which sounded close enough, to learn to play them, put them all together to make that…

"Would you care to dance Kata," he asked her quietly, holding out a hand to her.

"I'd love to Theta," she smiled, taking his hand as he pulled her to him, the two of them dancing slowly to the music playing around them, closing their eyes as the sounds of their home filled the room.

"I love you Kata," he whispered, kissing her lightly before resting his forehead to hers.

"I love you too Theta," she replied, smiling, as she moved to rest her head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeats, the best sound in the world to her.

He smiled, dropping a kiss to her hair as they swayed on.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

A/N: We've got a bit of Jenny! Yay! I always wanted them to find out she was alive, and I just couldn't help but put it here :)

Next chapter: The Orient Express in Space


	3. The Orient Express in Space

The Orient Express in Space (11/11)

Amy looked around as she stepped out of the TARDIS to see they were in a quaint train car, very vintage, old fashioned, probably what the original Orient Express would look like. In fact, she would have thought the Doctor had gotten his dates wrong…again…and taken the back to the original, had it not been for the blackness through the windows with a splattering of stars and galaxies within it.

"So," she turned as the Time Lords stepped out of the box, Rory behind them, shutting the door, "What exactly is going on?"

"We had a bit of a run in with an Egyptian goddess a while back," the Doctor explained as the Professor walked to the front of the dining car and looked through a small window at the next car, "Nothing incredibly difficult to deal with. Helped seal her away into the Seventh Obelisk."

"Why?" Rory shook his head.

"Same old thing," he shrugged, "Tried to enslave a planet."

"Which goddess was it?" Amy asked, watching as the Professor walked back through the car to the back this time.

"Hathor," the woman answered, checking the back, "The Egyptian goddess of fertility, inebriety, and music."

"Um…what are you doing?" Rory eyed her.

She sighed and rubbed her head, turning around to the Doctor, "I think you got the time a bit off."

The Doctor frowned, checking his watch, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Have none of you noticed what's off about this car?" she looked at them, but they stared at her blankly, she sighed, "We're in the middle of the Orient Express, in space…and the car's empty," they looked around, as though just realizing this, "So are the ones before and after us. Transport like this fills up."

"So where have they all gone," the Doctor nodded.

"Well they've got to be around here somewhere," Amy reasoned, shaking her head, not seeing why the Time Lords were getting so concerned about that.

"It's not like can go outside or something," Rory agreed.

"It's not that…" the Doctor began, hesitant.

"What?" Amy eyed them, suspicious now, "What is it?"

"If Hathor's been here," the Professor sighed, "Then she's already struck and that makes it a bit more difficult for us."

"Difficult how?" Rory frowned.

"Hathor, in legend, supposedly had the ability to control the minds of men with her beauty. Myths claim her to be the most beautiful woman that ever was or ever will be."

"Rubbish," the Doctor scoffed, putting his arm around the Professor, smiling at her pointedly.

The Professor rolled her eyes but gave him a peck on the cheek for the compliment, before turning back to the humans, "As cultures shifted and traded with each other, aspects of Hathor became well known in other civilizations, like Aphrodite or Venus for the Greeks and Romans, Ishtar in Babylon, Astarte of Syria…"

"The legend claims that she was sent by Ra to destroy mankind near the end," the Doctor remarked, "Even though Ra revoked the order, Hathor seemed to adapt the sentiment and wanted to rule over mankind instead."

"The last time we faced her I had to set off a bomb of knock out gas to get her army out of the way."

"I wasn't too fond of that one by the way," the Doctor told her, before turning to the humans, "She decided to be the diversion, giving me time to sonic a transport to the Seventh Obelisk."

He had been furious actually. She'd told him that she was going to remotely control the gas to knock out the army of males that Hathor had gotten control of. That hadn't been what happened. She'd wanted to get the men together in one place, as many as she could, so that there wouldn't be any others lingering around to stop them. In order to do that she'd let herself get captured and taken before Hathor, the men gathering in what the goddess had claimed was a great victory, her capture.

The goddess had not been happy when the gas was triggered and her army collapsed around her. He'd teleported in and managed to activate a secondary teleport he'd tossed at the woman, sending her back to the Seventh Obelisk where the reigning pharaoh had set up a small prison area, trapping her when she appeared before it. They'd rushed back to the prayer meeting, helping them seal her inside the obelisk.

This had been during their last bodies, so he hadn't exactly been able to argue or talk her out of doing so. She was more a soldier then, able to handle herself and do what she needed to ensure the mission's success.

"And you think that's what she's done here?" Amy asked, pulling them from their thoughts.

"What, she's taken the men?" Rory's eyes widened a bit.

"Seems so," the Doctor nodded, "She's probably had them lock the women away."

"She wasn't a violent sort of goddess, not in person at least," the Professor added, "She segregated the genders, the men as her warriors, the women as her servants. But if they tried to stop the men, then Hathor would have had them detained."

"So what do we do?" Amy asked, not liking the thought of the women being trapped there, their husbands and loves forced to turn against them.

"Find the women, free the men, stop the goddess," the Doctor nodded, "Possibly in that order."

The Professor sighed, "You and your 'things,'" she shook her head and looked at Rory, "Rory, you need to be careful."

He frowned, "Why?"

"Hathor developed a…super pheromone," she grimaced a bit, "It's what she uses to take over the men. It's a powder she sends into the air, once you breathe it in you fall under her control. You're a man."

"So's the Doctor."

"Yes, but the powder is concentrated for human reception," she blinked, "I…honestly don't know what would happen if she tried it on the Doctor."

"I'd rather not find out," the Doctor admitted. Just the thought of anyone trying to shift his affections from the Professor made him feel uneasy.

"Me either," the Professor nodded, "And I doubt Amy would be too fond of you following another woman around," she turned back to Rory.

Amy crossed her arms at that, scowling a bit at the thought. Rory couldn't help but smile and put an arm around his wife. His wife. It was incredible to be able to call her that, to know she was his, and that he was hers. To know she wanted to be with him like he did her.

The Doctor smiled, seeing the emotions play on Rory's face, knowing what the man was thinking. He took the Professor's hand in his own, the two of them watching as Amy smiled and kissed Rory.

"Now," the Doctor clapped after a moment, "Shall we?"

"Let's check the front of the train first," the Professor said, "They should have an automated computer system somewhere near there that we can hack into and use to track where the others are."

They nodded and turned to head off.

~8~

"So is this a good thing?" Amy asked as they entered yet another empty train car. They hadn't come across any men yet and the Professor was starting to get a bit tense about it.

"It could be," the Doctor shrugged, squeezing the Professor's hand as they just looked around the room, making sure no one was hiding.

"But it probably isn't," the Professor countered, "We've passed many cars, imagine how many people could comfortably fit in them," she glanced at the humans who nodded, "Now imagine that half of them are men. Then add up all the carts…"

"Oh," Rory frowned, seeing where she was going with this. There would be quite a few men, quite a lot really, and they hadn't seen them. Which meant they were most likely all gathered together, an army in itself, and they were probably walking right towards them.

"There's nothing to worry about though," the Doctor tried to reassure them, "It's not like we can't look for them in advance," he gestured to the windows in the doors that separated the cars.

"Doctor…" Amy began, seeing that the shade in the window of the next car had been pulled down.

"We'll see them coming and can back out quickly…"

"Um, Doctor," Rory pointed at the window as well. The Professor just shook her head at his obliviousness, getting ready for either fight or flight.

"Besides we're all on the alert for a trap," he opened the door, "Less chance of walking…" he trailed off, seeing the car before them was full of men who had turned to face them, makeshift weapons in their hands, "Into one…"

"Doctor?" the Professor called, as the men tensed and glared at them.

"Yes dear?" he asked.

"Run?"

"Sounds like a plan," he nodded, slamming the door shut and locking it, before they turned and ran, sonicing the doors locked behind them as they went.

They'd just slammed a door shut and soniced it, Rory running past them to get the next door open when they realized it was the dinner car they'd arrived in. They turned to follow him only to stop short and stumble back at the sight before them.

Standing in the middle of the car, blocking them from Rory, was a woman, and Amy knew it was Hathor. She was wearing an Egyptian style strapless red and gold dress, a gold band around her upper left arm, holding a golden staff in her right hand, golden sandals on her feet, with black hair that went to her chin, a headdress that looked like a golden eagle with its wings hanging over the sides of her head like a hat on her head.

"Hathor," the Doctor greeted.

Hathor looked over at them, sneering when she caught sight of them, "Who dares address me so informally?"

"Changed our face," the Professor reminded him quietly.

"Ah," he nodded, "Hello," he smiled at Hathor, "I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor!" Hathor gasped.

"And the Professor," he gestured at the Professor who waved her fingers at the irate goddess.

"You!" she glared, aiming her staff at them, the tip starting to glow red as she fired a laser at them, making them duck down.

"No!" Rory shouted, rushing over, grabbing a silver tray off a nearby table and swinging it at the woman.

Hathor disappeared.

"Rory!" Amy screamed, seeing the goddess appear behind her husband.

Rory spun around, lifting the tray once more, when Hathor held out her hand, letting out a little blow of air, sending a pink substance flying into the air, right at Rory…he dropped the tray.

"No!" Amy gasped, seeing Rory stumble, staring at Hathor with a lovesick look in his eyes, gazing at the goddess as though she were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She ran over, grabbing Rory, trying to pull him away.

"Amy!" the Professor shouted, knowing what would happen, "Don't!" she couldn't pull her blaster, not with what she knew Rory would do.

"Let go!" Rory snapped, pulling away from Amy.

Amy shook her head, staring at him a moment before grabbing the fallen tray off the floor, rushing at Hathor.

But Rory jumped in the way, "Don't you hurt her!" he shouted, blocking the path.

"Rory move!" she shouted as Hathor smirked at her.

"No!"

"Amy get back," the Professor called, pulling Amy back as the Doctor stepped forward, the sonic out threateningly.

"Release him Hathor," the Doctor demanded, striding towards her.

Hathor just eyed him appreciatively, humming, "You will do nicely," she nodded, before lifting her hand and blowing her powder at him as well.

The Doctor simply sneezed, shaking his head, before he glared at her, flicking on the sonic, shocking Hathor as she teleported out of the car, but taking Rory with her.

"Doctor?" Amy asked, panting, worried more for Rory as the Time Lord didn't seem to be affected by the powder like her husband had, "What happened? What did you do? Where's Rory?"

The Doctor sighed, "I've reversed her teleport," he explained, flashing the sonic above him, making sure the teleport was disabled for now, "That band on her arm, and fused it. She's trapped in her ship."

"But Rory's trapped too!"

"It'll be alright Amy," the Professor reassured her, "We'll get him back."

"Yes, we'll have your Mr. Pond back in no ti…" he trailed off, having turned around, only for his words to fail him.

The women exchanged a look as he just stood there, staring wide eyed at the Professor, "Doctor?" she asked cautiously. He just blinked at her, "Are you alright?"

"Me?" he asked, sounding breathless, "Yes, yes I'm fine…fantastic actually…" he started walking towards her, staring at her fixatedly, "Brilliant now. Perfect…you're so beautiful," he added.

"Thanks?" the Professor frowned, eyeing him, concerned. He was off, she could tell. This was not his normal behavior, even when he was being sweet or trying to get her to blush or seeking her forgiveness for something, he wasn't ever like this…

He just reached out and touched her cheek, "So beautiful. Your hair is like the sky at dawn, like the skies of Gallifrey…your eyes are just swirls of brown and green, and did you know there are flecks of green in them?" he stared into her eyes, his gaze growing more lovesick as the seconds ticked by, "So beautiful…" he repeated softly, "My Bonded…"

And then he kissed her.

"Doctor?" Amy asked after a moment, a bit confused. He'd just been talking about finding Rory and now he was kissing the Professor, "Doctor? What about Rory?"

The mention of their other Companion seemed to snap the Professor out of the kiss, she pulled away, but the Doctor, he just continued to kiss her, moving to her neck instead.

"Doctor," the Professor tried to push him away a bit, "Doctor, we have to find Rory."

"Rory who?" he asked, putting his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"Rory Williams," she reminded him, "Amy's husband, our Companion?"

"Oh," he nodded, but still continued to try and kiss her.

"Doctor!" the Professor snapped when he took her hand and tried to kiss up her arm, "Oh no…" she realized something.

"What happened to him?" Amy looked at her, watching the Doctor with a small frown, even she could tell something was wrong with him.

"Hathor's powder," she sighed, turning to talk to Amy even as the Doctor continued to kiss up and down her arms, seeming completely unaffected by the attention he was bestowing upon her. It was hard to ignore him being as sweet as he was, but once she'd realized this wasn't quite him, he wasn't quite in his right mind, it was easier to block it out.

"What about it?"

"She tried it on the Doctor, I thought he wasn't affected because he was able to send her away. But I think he _was_ affected, just in a different way. It was meant for humans, but he's…"

"An alien," Amy rubbed her head. This was just great. Her husband had been taken hostage by an Egyptian goddess, under her spell, while the Doctor was useless in his fixation on the Professor…she looked up, only to sigh, the Doctor had finally ceased his kiss attack on the Professor, but was standing close to her, his one arm around her, his other stroking her hair, whispering compliments in her ear.

"Doctor, stop…" the Professor tried to step away from him.

"No," he murmured, pulling her back, but she tried to gently slap his hands away.

"Doctor, I need to focus…" she tried to shrug her way out of his arms.

"Focus on me," he whispered dazedly, cupping her cheek to try and direct her gaze at him as he smiled lovesick at her.

"As much as I would love to dear, now isn't the time," she told him, before sighing, "You know I love you…"

"I love you too!" he shouted, grinning widely as he grabbed her face, kissing her deeply.

Amy couldn't help but face palm at that, shaking her head.

The Professor struggled a moment, it was always hard to refuse a kiss from him, but she had to, this wasn't him, "No, no, listen," she took his face in her hands, keeping him at arm's length for a moment, "Listen to me…"

"I always listen to you," he smiled dreamily, "Your voice is perfect, light and sweet, soothing…you sing so beautifully…"

"Yes, thank you," she nodded, cutting in a bit, "I was saying, you know I love you very much…"

"I…"

"Love me too, I know," she sighed, "And I'm sorry for this."

"For what?" he asked.

She just stepped back and, in a move she hadn't used in ages, quickly chopped him in the shoulder as he stepped towards her, knocking him out. The only other way she could think to do that would be to connect to his mind and force it asleep and the only way to do that without him realizing would be to kiss him. She honestly didn't think she'd be able to concentrate on knocking him out that way while kissing him and she didn't really want to use their connection in such a way either.

Amy stared down at him as he lay on the ground, unconscious, before turning back to the Professor, "What do we do?"

The Professor gave a little laugh, "Help me get him onto a chair and we'll plan something."

Amy nodded and they both moved to heft the Doctor up.

~8~

"What's wrong?" the Professor asked as they headed cautiously down the cars towards the back of the train, passing the bedrooms, towards where storage was, the only place they could think where the women might have been trapped. Amy had been silent for quite a while.

They'd come up with a plan to rescue the men and stop Hathor. First they needed more numbers, which meant finding the women and freeing them. Then they needed to find some weapons they could use to defend themselves should the men find a way out of the sonic locked cars and attack. Once they'd done that they needed to get past the men and to Hathor's transport where the Professor would try to reprogram the teleports to send her back to the Seventh Obelisk.

"Rory protected her," Amy said quietly after a moment.

"Amy…"

"I know," she cut in, "I know it was that weird powder making him do it…but I just…" she shook her head, "I feel like…I don't know, he should have been able to fight it or something. You know? Like, if he loved me as much as he always says he does, he shouldn't have fallen under her spell."

"Actually, the fact that he did fall under the spell speaks to how much he does love you."

"What?"

"Hathor's powder, it manipulates the brain to bring up feelings of love and redirects it to her, makes the brain think that she's the object of the love. You have to remember Amy, he waited for you 1,894 years, protecting you, not wanting to leave you. A love like that…it doesn't come around very often you know?" she glanced back at Amy to see the girl smiling a bit.

"So…Rory was affected…_because_ he loves me?" Amy asked, trying to follow along.

The Professor nodded, "If he didn't love you, then the powder wouldn't work. The two of us, we're lucky to have men who love us like they do. But…" she sighed, stopping as she reached back to take Amy's hand, squeezing it, "I _am_ sorry that Rory was taken by the spell though."

It couldn't be easy to see him defending another woman, staring at her with such love and devotion and knowing it wasn't directed where it should be. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if the Doctor HAD been affected by the powder. In a way, she already knew the hurt Amy was feeling, seeing the Doctor and Mayra together, or even him and Rose, was as close as she ever wanted to get in seeing the Doctor being affectionate with another woman. It was, quite possibly, a good thing that the Doctor had only been affected the way he had. She knew how much she loved him, how much he loved her, and to have that love placed with Hathor…she would truly fear for anyone who tried to take the goddess down.

"Come on," Amy nodded, determined now, "Let's go get our boys back!"

The Professor smiled and nodded as well, reaching out to open a compartment door with no window, only to see a mass of women sitting close together, packed into the room. As soon as they spotted them they started struggling, their hands tied behind their backs, their legs tied together, gags across their mouths.

"Hold on," the Professor ran over, her and Amy getting to work pulling the gags off, untying the bindings, the women quickly turning to help them get everyone else freed.

"Thank you!" one of the women, a distinct Egyptian accent in place, a similar Egyptian look to her, ran over and hugged them, "I cannot tell you how thankful we are to see you."

"It's alright Your Majesty," the Professor pulled away, the woman looking at her shocked, "The Professor," she pointed at herself, "Sorry, I know I don't look like the depictions in the temples, new face."

"Professor!" she gasped, hugging her again, "The Ra smiles upon us now that you are here," she pulled away and looked at Amy, "Is this the Doctor?"

Amy blanched as the Professor laughed, "No, no, this is Amy, our Companion," she explained, "The Doctor is…indisposed at the moment. Amy meet Cleo, Queen Cleopatra XXXI to be precise."

"Pleased to meet you," Cleo nodded at Amy, smiling widely. It was an honor to be so informally addressed by the Professor, after everything she and the Doctor had done for them in their legends they were honored among the people of her home. To be addressed as Cleo meant that the Time Lords considered her and, by association, her people to be friends.

"Back at ya," Amy nodded, a bit confused.

"Remember the Starship UK?" the Professor turned to Amy who nodded, "Before the Earth was lost, the humans moved all the major landmarks to their own planets, the pyramids of Egypt, quite a few of the tombs and other temples, were placed on their own moon, including the Seventh Obelisk. Over the centuries the people adopted a living style and rule similar to those of their ancestors."

Amy nodded, understanding.

"What is going on?" another woman called, a bit snooty if Amy had to describe her, "One minute I was having dinner with my husband and the next some woman…" she shook her head.

The Professor sighed, stepping up to stand before the women, "Here's all you need to know, that woman who appeared has used some form of hormone-driven drug to take control of the men. It's going to take some effort to neutralize her so we're going to need your help. If you want any chance of getting your husbands, fiancés, sweethearts, brothers, fathers, sons, whoever, back, then we need to team up, pool our resources, and stop her," she looked around at them, "Who's with me?"

~8~

"So what exactly are we supposed to do again?" a young, timid looking woman asked as they crept back to the dinner car that Amy and the Professor had left the Doctor and the TARDIS in, finding him still unconscious.

"Give me a mo," the Professor called, kneeling by the Doctor. She gently stroked his cheek a moment before reaching into the pocket of his coat, smiling when she pulled out the sonic. She gave him a soft kiss on his forehead before standing up again, "Now…" she turned to the women, all of whom were holding something to defend themselves with, whether trays or bits of pipe or even a few umbrellas, "This is what's going to happen. I'm going to enter the compartment that the men were locked into…"

"But you can't!" Cleo called, her eyes wide in fear for the woman, "The men will…"

"The men will try to stop me from passing through because Hathor's ship will be just beyond the car's end door," she cut in, having guessed that was the reason why the men were so condensed, "That's why I have this," she held up the sonic, flicking through the settings a moment, "On a high enough frequency, it can render someone unconscious. It's not very safe to use on humans, it _can_ be damaging, the Doctor never really uses it for that reason. But I promise you all," she added, seeing their concerned looks, "I will be _extremely_ careful. As soon as they are down, I'll cut the sonic off, they should be fine. Which is where you come in."

"Us?" the snooty woman asked.

She nodded, "You are going to keep an eye on the men. Make sure they don't wake up. If they do, knock them out. I just need you to watch them long enough for me to get to Hathor's ship and send her away. As soon as she's locked into the Seventh Obelisk once more her control over the men will go with her and they'll be free, they'll wake up likely with no memory of what's happened. I need to know, when I do this, can I count on you?"

The women nodded.

"Good," she turned to head to the door, the women following.

"What about me?" Amy asked, right behind her.

"You're with me Amy," she told her, "If Rory's in the ship with her, he'll be her only defense, and I'm going to need your help with him."

"Right," Amy nodded, taking a breath.

They continued along the cars till they reached the one with the men in it. The Professor looked at the women, putting a finger to her lips, "Wait till I call," she whispered to them, before sonicing the door open and rushing in. She slammed the door shut just as the men turned to her, holding up the sonic and flicking it on as they rushed for her, only to drop to their knees, holding their ears at the high-pitched noise resonating from it. She watched them carefully as they fell to the floor, onto their stomachs, their eyes closing, and turned the device off.

She moved to the nearest man, kneeling down and putting a finger to his neck, scanning and checking on him, of all the men he'd be the worst for being so close to her when she activated the sonic. But she breathed a sigh of relief to see that he was alive, just knocked out, perfectly fine otherwise.

"Move in!" she called over her shoulder.

The door burst open and the women entered, all of them ran for the men they recognized, checking on them, just wanting to be sure that the device she'd used hadn't harmed them. She stood up, "Keep an eye on them," she ordered the women, "Amy, with me," Amy nodded and they turned to head to the back door, "Oh," she turned, "Your Majesty, if I may?" she held out a hand.

Cleo nodded, reaching behind her neck and taking off a necklace she was wearing, a small golden obelisk with miniature hieroglyphics inscribed on them, handing it over to the Time Lady.

"Thank you," she nodded, "I'll keep it safe and return it to you when this is over."

Cleo nodded once more, watching as they headed to the back door, stepping through it to where the cars connected. They looked back the way they'd come and at the next door, the one that would likely lead to Hathor's ship.

"What do we do?" Amy asked, "If Rory's there, guarding her?"

She didn't want to hurt her husband, she didn't want him to be hurt either.

"_I_ can't do anything to help him Amy," the Professor said quietly, both of them whispering so as not to be heard through the doors, "But _you_ can."

"How?" Amy frowned.

"The drug Hathor used, it's hormone based," Amy just stared at her, "Which means that, right now, Rory is…libidinous."

"Libidinous?"

"Like the Doctor was," she blushed a bit, "He'll be very…um, open to advances."

"Oh!" Amy's eyes widened as she blushed as well.

The Professor was trying to subtly tell her to seduce her husband back to their side.

"Wow," Amy breathed, "They _really_ trained you to take advantage of the enemy's weaknesses didn't they?"

The Professor laughed, "You up for the mission soldier?"

Amy smiled, "Sign me up sarge."

~8~

The Professor was crouched before the door to the car to Hathor's ship. She was waiting, ready for Amy's call for either help or success. The only ones in the car would be Hathor and Rory and the goddess was never one to get her hands dirty, loving sending her men out there instead, and she _knew_ Hathor would thrive on trying to use Rory against his wife. She'd fail though…assuming Amy was able to seduce her husband, which, given what she knew of how Rory felt for the ginger and her previous occupation as a kiss-o-gram and flirty disposition, it should be no problem for the woman, a mission she could handle perfectly fine on her own. If she joined Amy, Rory would see it more of a threat and she needed for Rory's full attention to be on Amy for this to work, any other person in there with her would distract from that.

She was listening for the call, but not too intently, she knew how 'sickeningly sweet' she and the Doctor could be to others when they flirted, she could only imagine how Amy would be with Rory. And this _was_ technically their wedding night so she could only assume how much more flirty and seductive Amy would be willing to be to get her husband back.

"Now!" Amy shouted.

The Professor quickly dashed into the room, pausing only a moment to see that Amy was standing before Rory, who had been pushed against a wall of the car, her arms around his neck, Rory looking quite dazed and lovesick, but staring at Amy this time, as Hathor was moving to stand before her throne at the back of the room, glaring at the humans.

"Oh no you don't!" the Professor shouted at the goddess, holding up the Seventh Obelisk dangling from the chain in her hand.

"No!" Hathor gasped, aiming her laser staff at the Time Lady, building power.

The Professor just smirked and aimed the sonic at the obelisk, flashing it on, making it glow golden. Hathor screamed as the teleport ring on her arm activated and she was sucked right at the obelisk, pulled inside it.

The Professor grinned, looking down at the necklace as it stopped glowing, "Mission complete," she laughed, turning to Amy as Rory flashed golden a moment as well, the control ending.

"Amy?" Rory blinked, looking around, confused, "What happened? How did we get here?"

Amy just turned and kissed Rory quickly, quieting him as he just moved to kiss her back.

The Professor smiled, watching as Amy pulled away from Rory, "I love you," the ginger told him.

"I love you too," Rory said, eyeing Amy a moment, still confused, "But what…"

"Come on," the Professor called, seeing that Amy _really_ didn't want to talk about the incident, knowing it was hard for her to have seen Rory defending and staring longingly at another woman even if he was drugged, "We need to check on the others."

"Others?" Rory shook his head.

"Oh come on stupid," Amy grabbed his hand and pulled him on.

~8~

"Doctor?" the Professor called gently, stroking the Doctor's face.

They'd gotten everything set back to working order, Hathor trapped in the Seventh Obelisk, which had been returned to Cleo, the men returned to their right minds with no recollection of what had happened, the women relieved to be free and safe once more. Now the only thing that remained was making sure the Doctor was alright.

"Doctor wake up…"

His face scrunched a bit as he stirred, blinking slightly as he woke up to see the Professor kneeling beside him, "What…" he closed his eyes and sighed, figuring it out, "She got me didn't she?"

The Professor laughed, reaching out to help him sit up more, "I'm afraid so."

He looked at her, concerned, as he reached out to touch her cheek gently, "I…I didn't…" he struggled to speak.

"No," she reassured him, taking his hand and holding it to her cheek as she smiled at him, "You didn't do _anything_ to hurt me."

"Oh," he breathed a sigh of relief, nodding, "Good, good."

"You didn't even fall in love with her."

"Good."

"You did try to ravish me though."

"Goo…what?" his eyes widened as he looked at her, blushing heavily when he heard Amy and Rory chuckling behind her.

She nodded, smirking, "It was rather enjoyable I must say," he blushed even more, "Though I would have rather it been while you weren't drugged."

He smiled at her gently and leaned in, kissing her lightly, "I think I can fix that…"

She rested her forehead to his, "I'll hold you to that."

He laughed a bit, taking her hand as she helped him up, "Right," he clapped, pointing at the Ponds, "I think it's time we head out, eh?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded, gazing at Rory with a soft look in her eye, "I don't know about you two, but I'm about ready for…bed."

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, this was an emotionally draining and trying experience I would think, we should all 'hit the hay' as they say, shouldn't we dear?" he looked at the Professor who was shaking her head at him as Amy's remark went right over his head.

"Of course," she nodded, Amy sniggering.

He grinned widely, "Come along Ponds!" he turned and headed towards the TARDIS, "We'll take a rest and then find you a nice place for your honeymoon!"

"Doctor you don't have to," Rory remarked as they entered the box, just knowing that the Doctor's idea of a honeymoon would probably involve some sort of life or death situation, "Really, you don't."

"Nonsense!" he clapped Rory on the shoulder as the Professor pulled a lever on the console, sending them into the Vortex.

"Oh come on," Amy moved over to Rory, taking his hand, "What could possibly happen?"

Rory just gestured at the doors, indicating what had just happened.

"Don't worry Rory," the Professor cut in, "I'll be sure to help him pick it."

Rory sighed, but nodded, he was outnumbered three to one. But then again…the thought of a honeymoon with Amy, somewhere, anywhere, in the Universe…it was an incredible notion.

Amy smiled, seeing him starting to smile, and tugged him towards the steps to the halls, ready to enjoy their wedding night.

"Their wedding night," the Professor remarked, watching them go as the Doctor moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I remember ours like it was last night," he murmured in her ear, "Feels like only yesterday that I married you."

"Mmm," she hummed, turning in his arms to put hers around his neck, "You know…I think I'm about ready to get to _bed_ too."

He nodded, before his eyes widened, finally getting it, "Oh…"

She smiled, "There it is."

He grinned, "You know, I think I am too," he stepped away from her, taking her hand and pulling her towards the steps as well.

A/N: Lol, this chapter was actually inspired by Stargate SG1's episode Hathor. Which involved an Egyptian goddess loose in a military-like base making all the men fall under her spell. I think it fit pretty well :) I didn't want to go too into Rory being under Hathor's spell because it is his wedding night with Amy and it just felt too cruel to do that to them. I mean, with the siren it was pretty funny, but with them being so newly married it just didn't seem the right time.

Just a little note on a question about timelines and last chapter, I was also confused by the timing with Closing Time and how he was 'dying tomorrow' and all. But some reviews definitely cleared it up for me. I now see it as the 1,000th birthday was during the 200 years between God Complex and Closing Time (or even TWORS). He dropped Amy and Rory off some time in the future (compared to when they left on their adventures in TIA) at the end of God Complex and a little while later for them is when he saw them during Closing Time. He then goes back in time at the end of Closing Time to when they first saw him in TIA as the Teselecta. The Doctor meant he was going to willingly go to his death soon (the next adventure) and not literally tomorrow (because that would mean Closing Time took place on the 3rd of April which is a VERY wibbly wobbly mess of time). Hope that cleared it up a bit.

Wow! Tomorrow marks Comic-Con in San Diego! Yay Doctor Who! I read somewhere that there would be a special treat for those who attended. I'm hoping it's either info on the 50th anniversary, a date for Series 7 airing, or a more detailed preview of the Series (I know I'm definitely going to be searching youtube all day lol).

And since tomorrow is Comic-Con and we might get a treat online somewhere of it, I thought I'd give a treat as well. Tomorrow I'll be starting the new OC series (don't worry, I will still be updating this story as well, so we'll be getting a double treat for a few days). I originally intended to start it after I had finished posting the one shots I had already written out for this story, but I felt like it would be a good time to start the new series, the beginning of the week and with a possible DW surprise from Comic-Con. So be on the look out for...The Hidden Lady of Time, the title of the new 10/OC series :)

Next chapter: The Professor's 1000th Birthday


	4. The Professor's 1,000th Birthday

The Professor's 1,000th Birthday (11/11)

The Professor smiled, feeling something tickling her neck, and squirmed, moving a bit in bed, but the sensation continued…till she heard the Doctor laugh softly at her efforts and opened her eyes to see him crouched at the side of the bed, leaning over to kiss her neck. She reached out and cupped his face as he smiled at her, "Good morning," she whispered, her voice a bit rough from sleep.

"Morning," he gave her a peck.

"What a nice way to wake up," she stroked his face, just looking at him softly, "I could get used to that."

He started to smirk, just a bit saucily, "I thought the way I woke you yesterday was much nicer…"

She laughed, "Yes, it was very…pleasurable…" she laughed again seeing him blushing when she knew it had been his intention to get her to blush with his words. But it seemed this version of her had little shame when it came to him speaking of their private activities. He was hers, and when he said things like that, few though they were as he did have a penchant to blush, it just reaffirmed that to her and to those around them. She loved him, and therefore, anything they did she could never be ashamed of or embarrassed about when others found out.

"And…happy 1,000th birthday," he added, grinning widely, trying to get her slightly off topic.

"Thanks," she laughed, moving to sit up in bed, about to get out when the Doctor held up a hand, making her pause.

"One moment," he straightened up, "Part of your surprise."

She smiled when he turned around to see he was holding a tray with a stack of pancakes on them, syrup, whip cream, and apple slices on the top. She inhaled deeply, smelling a particular scent of the pancakes, apple cinnamon pancakes, with a glass of tea, black, and a sprig of begonia in a vase beside it. She leaned in and sniffed the begonia, grinning up at him, "Thank you."

"No need," he winked at her, "It's your birthday, today will be all about you!" he clapped, almost more excited for her birthday than he was for his own, "Now, you just eat up and when you're ready, I've got a big day planned!"

She laughed, digging into her breakfast, just as eager to see what he had planned as he had been for what she'd planned for him.

~8~

The Professor smiled as she sat on the jump seat, a blindfold over her eyes, her legs crossed, absolutely calm even as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS by himself. He'd hidden his thoughts from her and forbid her to go anywhere near the monitor to run a layout of wherever it was he was taking her. She couldn't wait to see…feeling even more excited when the box set down with a thump, while also hoping he hadn't landed on anything important.

"We're here!" he cheered, his voice getting nearer as he approached her, reaching out to take her hand, helping her up, "You ready?"

"Absolutely!" she grinned and he proceeded to carefully lead her down the steps and to the doors. She heard them open a moment before a blast of warm air hit her, wherever he'd taken her it was quite hot outside…much like him…

'_Heard that,_' he whispered in her mind, before he gave her a peck to the cheek and pulled off the blindfold.

She blinked a few times to get used to the change in the light before her eyes widened at the sight before her, "Theta…" she breathed, smiling widely as she stepped out of the TARDIS and into a large room full of shelves with scrolls on them. She turned to him as he grinned, leaning on the doorframe, "You didn't…"

"Welcome to the Library of Alexandria," he stepped out, closing the door behind him as he took her hand, leading her into the library.

He knew she loved books, reading and learning and humans. He couldn't think of a better place to take her that encompassed all that but the first true human library in existence.

"Thank you!" she hugged him tightly. The library and museum of Alexandria was one of the most famous in the ancient world, a wonder, a treasure. It was full of scrolls of all the classics, the epics, rooms dedicated to zoology, astronomy, biology, botany, and others. It would be an incredible place to just visit and wander through.

"Again," he mock sighed, "There's nothing to thank me for," he pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, "This is your day…everything I have planned is for you," he blinked a moment and smiled, "In fact…I think every day is your day, because everything I do is always for you anyway, but today is more special because today is the day you were given to the Universe…if it hadn't happened…" he stroked her cheek, "I don't even want to think about it. So…no more thanking me," he pointed a mock warning finger at her, making her laugh, "Just enjoy today and everything I'm going to do for you, everywhere I'm going to take you."

Her eyes widened, "There's more?"

"Of course," he winked, "But that's all you're going to get from me," he laughed, "Sound familiar?"

She shook her head, "This is your way of getting even with me for not telling you anything about your birthday, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," he nodded.

She pouted a moment before smirking, "Will you give _me_ a hint though Theta?" he shook his head, "Please?" he still shook his head, "Alright then, you asked for it," she turned to him, her eyes wide and sad…

"No!" he shouted, quickly putting a hand over her eyes before he could fall under the spell of her sad eyes, "Not going to work this time."

She laughed, pulling his hand off her face, "Am I going to have to use other methods then?"

"No method on Earth will work," he said, nodding to himself, "Not a one."

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow.

He nodded again, "Mine is an iron will."

She laughed, reaching out to tug him closer by his braces, "Oh really?"

He swallowed hard, feeling her running her fingers along his braces, under them, "Y-yes," he cursed himself for stuttering just then.

"I'm sure I can think of some sort of method that would work…" she murmured, leaning closer to kiss him.

He returned the kiss for a moment, pulling her closer before his mind caught up with him and he broke away, shaking his head, "Not going to work Kata," she sighed and he laughed, "For you," he held up a small flower to cheer her up.

She blinked, looking down at the cyprus cyclamen in his hand, and smiled, taking it, sniffing it. He held out his hand and together they walked off to explore the library.

~8~

The Doctor watched the Professor closely as they sat in a small audience, watching the concert before them, he knew how much she loved music…and disliked Mozart, the man not the compositions…and so he'd thought taking her to one of Beethoven's concerts would be a far safer treat, a better musician for her to see. And she seemed to be enjoying it.

She stood up, clapping loudly as the man himself finished the current symphony, beaming, "Theta this is amazing," she told him, kissing him quickly as she sat back down.

"It gets better," he told her.

She looked at him, confused, "What are you talking about?"

He just grinned, "Wait for it."

"Thank you!" Beethoven called, "Thank you, you are most kind. Now…this, I am told, is a very special day for one of my good friends," he looked out at the crowd, winking at the Professor whose eyes widened, looking at the Doctor who just laughed joyfully, "She, like me, is a lover of music, and, to honor her, I would like to not only dedicate this next piece to her, but invite her to join me in playing. Mrs. Katherine Smith," he called, holding up a hand, "If you would."

The Professor's mouth dropped open in shock at that, turning to the Doctor who urged her on, "Go!" he called, "Go!"

She let out a little breath and stood, the crowd starting to clap as she made her way to Beethoven, who led her to a small piano bench, having her sit beside him as they began to play, the Doctor watching with a proud smile. They'd met Beethoven on one of their adventures with Rose, the Professor helping the man compose one of his earlier symphonies when he'd suffered a bout of writer's block, and had become fast friends. All he'd had to do was tell the man it was her birthday and that he wanted to do something special for her and the man was onboard.

Before he knew it the symphony was coming to a close. He should have expected that, half the time the Professor played a tune, not one of her originals, he found himself far too taken with watching her than truly listening, just watching her face, seeing her smile, her eyes light up, her getting lost in the music…it was an incredible sight.

The Professor stood up and curtsied at the audience, rushing back to where they'd been sitting and kissing him quite deeply, her cheeks still flushed from the joy of performing the song. He grinned widely as she pulled back, "You are incredible," she told him, beaming.

"And you," he reached up, placing something behind her ear, "Are beautiful."

She reached up and pulled the item off to see it was a petunia. She smiled softly, placing the flower back, giving him a peck, seeing a pattern in the flowers. He grinned, putting his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him, watching the rest of the concert.

~8~

"Stop it!" the Professor laughed as she swatted at the Doctor's hand. They were lying on an old blanket of theirs in the middle of the Babylonian Gardens, another wonder of the ancient world, having a small picnic. It was a perfect moment, they'd often had picnics and just spend time outdoors on Gallifrey, in a little nook in the woods surrounded by Pika flowers, and, while the flowers around them weren't those from home, they were still beautiful.

She was on her back, just watching the clouds, as the Doctor lay on his side, dangling a small bit of chimaphila along her face, tickling her with it. He hummed a moment as though in thought, "No."

She laughed, "No?" she eyed him.

"No," he grinned at her, "You'll have to make me."

"Oh will I?" she started to smile slyly before grabbing his wrist and pushing herself up, using her momentum to push him back, onto his back, with her on top of him, holding his arms down by his head. She laughed as he pouted and gave him a kiss, moving off of him to lay at his side, her head resting on his chest as she closed her eyes, smiling happily.

"Enjoying your birthday so far?" he asked her, his arm moving around her, his hand absently stroking through her hair.

She hummed, "Very much."

"More where this came from," he told her, leaning down to kiss her head.

"You're spoiling me," she told him warningly.

"It's not spoiling if you deserve it," he countered, "And you do Kata, more than anyone I know, you deserve happiness."

"Likewise," she murmured, starting to fall asleep at the warmth, comfort, and peace around them.

He smiled, watching her, so pleased that she felt so at ease and safe with him that she'd let herself fall asleep. Whenever they were in a new setting, she was rarely ever relaxed enough to fall asleep or become unalert. But to see her with him, this relaxed, trusting that he'd keep her safe to the point where she could let herself fall asleep…he was doing something right.

~8~

She hit her side of the small pair of counting clocks, the Doctor frowning at the board before them. They were sitting in Central Park in modern New York, playing chess. It was so simple, such a truly simple moment, no running around ancient wonders or meeting famous composers…just the two of them, sitting together, and enjoying a game they'd been playing since they'd met.

And, if she were being honest, this was her favorite surprise yet.

She wasn't the sort of girl who needed extreme adventures or epic gestures of love, just him. To just have him with her, them being together, was more than enough for her. And the fact that he remembered how much they enjoyed the game of chess, how much they could both enjoy it and participate, even against each other, meant a lot to her.

He grinned, "Ah ha!" he beamed, moving his queen to take her knight and hitting the counter.

She smiled, just watching him, her head resting on her hand as she eyed him. He looked up at her after a moment of her not making a move to see her staring at him, "Did I just make a mistake?" he asked her, he'd been so sure he'd made a brilliant move.

"Oh yes," she nodded, "But that's not why I'm looking at you."

He frowned, not from the fact that he was probably going to lose the game, not many people on Gallifrey who knew Earth chess could beat her anyway, not even the Master, but from confusion, "And why's that?"

"Because my husband is so handsome," she told him, making him beam, "And thoughtful, and wonderful, and fantastic…I could go on forever you know."

He reached out and took her hand, kissing the back of it, "Likewise."

"And…" she reached out and moved her bishop, "He's such an honorable loser," to his king, taking it, "Checkmate."

He looked at the board and shook his head, one day he'd win a game against her. But till then, "Then, for the lovely winner," he held out a marigold to her, making her smile as she sniffed it.

She gave a little dramatic sigh, "And here I was hoping for a kiss…"

He laughed and leaned forward, kissing her for her victory as well, smiling as she placed her hand to his cheek and held him there to kiss him longer. Well, he wasn't going to complain, this day was all about her after all. If she wanted to kiss him…who was he to stop her?

~8~

"You're joking!" the Professor laughed as he held the door open to a small sweet shop.

"Not at all," he replied, "I never joke about sweets."

She shook her head at him and stepped into the shop, twirling a small bundle of hydrangea he'd given her as they'd been walking.

He wouldn't tell her, but he was actually partially joking. He'd intended to take her to an actual book shop, knowing how much she enjoyed books, since he'd taken her to the Library of Alexandria. But…as they'd been walking arm-in-arm, he'd spotted the sweet shop and hadn't been able to resist. She was almost as bad about all sorts of sweets as he was with Jelly Babies.

And he knew she'd enjoy the treat, she was a treat in herself. He smiled to himself, something sweet for someone sweet.

'_Heard that,_' she called in his mind, giving him a kiss for it.

It was a little, quaint shop, with many different types of candies and treats on display. There was a little old woman behind a little counter, smiling at them as they entered. He grinned and walked over, always one for talking to others, while the Professor moved around, examining the sweets to see which ones she might want.

"Hello dear," the woman greeted as he approached, "See anything you like?"

"Yes, yes I do," he nodded, his gaze on the Professor.

The woman chuckled gently, seeing that, "Your fiancé?"

"My wife," he corrected lightly, not moving his eyes away from the Professor.

"Good for you dear," she patted his shoulder, "I wish you both many happy years together," she looked down at her own wedding ring on her hand. Her own husband, thankfully, was still with her, even now, laid up in bed at home with a bit of a cold. Strong as an ox he was, would be back on his feet in no time, she had no doubts, they may be getting on, but they both had years left to go together.

"Thank you," he turned to smile at her, "You're very kind."

She just waved him off, "Might I ask…" he nodded, "Is this a treat for an occasion?" he nodded again, "Anniversary?"

"No," he grinned, "It's her birthday."

"Really?" she smiled, leaning in to whisper, "May I ask how old?"

"1,000," he answered promptly, "Doesn't look a day over 100 though does she?"

The woman laughed, shaking her head at him, clearly thinking he was joking, the woman couldn't be older than 30, not even.

The Doctor pushed off the small counter and walked over to the Professor, the woman watching with a smile as he wound his arm around her waist, looking at the treats she'd selected, a small bag of chocolates, only a handful at most, she always had more self control than he did...at least when it came to candies. He gave her a small kiss and led her back over to the counter but the woman just waved him off, "No, no," she shook her head, smiling at them, "Please, think of it as a birthday gift."

The Professor smiled at her, "Are you sure?" she nodded, "Then thank you ma'am."

"Yes, thanks," the Doctor grinned, pointing at her a moment before they headed for the door.

She shook her head, they were adorable.

~8~

"Captain Magambo!" the Doctor cheered, giving a light salute to the woman. They were standing in UNIT headquarters, having asked a lovely receptionist to please call either Captain Magambo or Colonel Mace down, it seemed only Magambo was present today.

The woman blinked and eyed the two aliens a moment, her gaze flickering to his bow tie a moment, before frowning, "Doctor?" she guessed, "Professor?"

Quite a few members of UNIT turned at that, having heard legends of the Doctor and Professor and were eager to see them in person.

"Spot on," the Professor laughed. The Doctor always seemed to forget that people didn't know he'd regenerated or just expected them to recognize him off the bat even though he had changed his face.

Magambo shook her head, "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to ask UNIT a favor," the Doctor began, "Nothing big."

Magambo nodded, "Yes of course, whatever you need. After all you've done for us..."

"Brilliant," he smiled, "Yes, I was wondering if we could borrow your weapons testing facility for a moment. Preferably your firing range."

Magambo blinked, "May I ask what for?" she was a bit hesitant, the last version of the Doctor she'd met didn't seem to be one for guns, especially if what he'd done to Harriet Jones was anything to go on.

He laughed, "Just want to treat my lovely Bonded to a special day," he explained, putting an arm around the Professor's waist, "We don't keep many weapons on the TARDIS and I think she'd like to get some practice in is all. And well, UNIT is the only facility I trust for her to handle weapons safely and discreetly."

Magambo started to smile at the fact that the Doctor trusted them, "Of course," she nodded, understanding a hidden piece of his words. He'd like the Professor to be able to try out different, most likely alien, weapons, and UNIT was the only one that had ample supply of them as well as a secure and safe area to test them in. Torchwood had gotten quite disbanded over the years, "Right this way."

She turned and led them through the corridors, ignoring the whisperings around them as word spread that the two most famous aliens the facility had ever encountered were in the building, and down a few stairs to a basement level, pushing open a door to a firing range, reinforced with thick steel walls and unbreakable glass windows.

"We have a number of weapons catalogued," she explained, leading them over to a computer, "All you do is select which one, and the computer will bring it to you. You can then use it on any of our targets. All we ask is that you put it back into the system the same way you got it."

The Professor nodded, "Of course."

Magambo nodded and stepped back, gesturing the Professor forward. She and the Doctor stayed back, watching the Professor select a weapon, receive it, check it, and turn to the small series of booths to begin firing.

Magambo couldn't help but whistle as, after the third weapon the Professor had tried, she continued to hit the bull's eye, "She is an incredible marksman," she remarked to the Doctor.

He gave a small smile and nodded, this version of the Professor truly had let go of the past. She'd accepted what had been done to her and used it to help others, not resentful or scared or dependent on the weapons, but comfortable in situations where she had to use them.

He walked over to the Professor as she moved to put the weapon back and select another one, putting a hand on her shoulder to get her attention while they waited for the computer to bring her the next weapon, "You're brilliant," he whispered to her.

"Why thank you," she smiled at the compliment, turning to him only to see him holding out a small bit of rue to her, "You're quite brilliant yourself," she whispered, taking the flower and smelling it before putting it behind her ear.

"Go on," he nodded to the weapon that had been deposited before her, "Show them what you've got."

She glanced behind him to see that there was a crowd of UNIT soldiers and staff pressed up against the windows of the shooting range, watching her, impressed so far, "I'd love to," she smiled, turning back to her booth and preparing to fire once more.

~8~

"It's not fair," the Professor sighed, speaking quietly as they sat in the balcony of a small theater.

"What's not?" he asked, his arm around her, leaning in close to speak just as quietly, neither of them wanting to disrupt the show going on below.

"My favorite opera had to be written by the most irritating composer," she remarked.

He laughed, kissing the side of her head as they continued to watch 'The Magic Flute' being performed. He hadn't wanted to risk taking her to see the original production of the opera, she and Mozart hadn't exactly parted on the best terms, and after taking her to UNIT's shooting range, her trigger finger was just a bit more itchy than before. He couldn't risk her killing the man for the smallest argument.

So, he'd decided to take her to a production that had occurred a few years after he'd died, managing to get them into a private balcony by means of his psychic paper. The area was even decorated with a string of foxtail amaranth lining the balcony wall, which had made her smile and laugh, earning him a little kiss as well.

He just smiled, watching as she softly hummed to the music and sang quietly with the characters, happy she was enjoying herself.

~8~

"You really are going to spoil me you know," she told him as they sat outside a small restaurant, the sun just starting to set, in Venice once more, "You're too good to me."

"Not good enough," he shook his head, "I still don't know what I've done to deserve you Kata," he told her quietly, absently playing with her hand as he gazed upon her, "I truly don't. You're just so…" he shook his head, smiling softly, he couldn't find the words to describe her, he never could, often times the mere thought of her could make him speechless.

"The feeling's mutual," she told him, squeezing his hand.

He lifted her hand to him, kissing the back of it as waiters appeared with their food, placing their dinners before them, a vase with oleander in the middle of the table with two candles on either side of it. She giggled a bit when the Doctor refused to let go of her hand to start eating. He was happily able to eat his pasta but she had gotten a piece of meat and it was rather hard to eat it without cutting it in pieces.

"Theta," she laughed, "You've got to let go of me."

"Never," he said, more serious than she'd ever heard him. She blinked and looked at him, all joking aside, "Never ever."

She smiled again, "I meant my hand," she held up her hand that he was still holding.

"Oh," he blushed a bit, releasing her hand.

"But that was _very_ sweet," she added, "I'll never let you go either," she nudged him with her foot beneath the table, "As you once said, all we have to do is hold on tight, and we have been doing that since we were children."

"Yes we have," he smiled, holding up his glass to her, both of them clinking their drinks and taking a sip in toast and promise.

~8~

"I swear, it's almost like you _want_ me to trip," she muttered, trying to hold up the hem of her dress, leaning over to reach for her skirt as much as she could in her corset, her hair back in an elegant twist with bits of candytuft woven into it.

"Maybe I do," the Doctor admitted and she looked at him, "Because then I get to catch you," he pulled her closer, "And hold you in my arms," he smiled, "The very place I want you always."

She smiled as they stood at the side of a large room, a banquet hall of sorts, watching as the court of King Henry VIII finished up a dance before them. The Professor nudged him, nodding at a young woman with bright orange hair as she danced among the courtiers, a very young Elizabeth I. Lady Jane Seymour had died years before and this was a party in her name, to honor her and the son she had bestowed upon the King before she'd passed.

The Doctor was rubbish at dancing, and he knew it, but he knew how much she loved different dances, and somehow, they always seemed to end up involved at the court of the English monarchs. He'd been aiming for Liz 10, knowing she was far more of a fan of theirs than her ancestors were, but they'd ended up with Liz 1 and her father. He wasn't about to complain, especially when they realized they should probably dress for the times just this once…seeing the Professor in a floor length gown again, as he'd had to remind her that she'd probably be arrested for wearing her normal skirt, and he didn't want to see her in chains on her birthday…nor did he ever…and she'd reluctantly agreed. After all, he'd done so much for her on her today she could give him this little treat in return.

She just knew there was a reason why he seemed so keen to try and get her into floor length gowns, now she knew.

He nudged her on, into a line of women who were preparing for the next dance, staying back, he always loved watching her dance. She smiled, kissing him lightly as she dashed off to join the women.

He smiled, starting to clap to the beat with the rest of the court as they watched the women and men parade around, dance in lines, and switch partners effortlessly, but his gaze was always on the Professor. It was like she had said to him at Space Florida, she only ever noticed him, he only ever noticed her…

And other men watching her…

Like the King…

Oh this was _not_ good…

He glanced back and forth between the Professor and the King, who seemed to grow more interested as the dance wore on, until it was finally over. He felt himself relaxing more and more as she made her way through the crowd and back over to him, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss, pulling her into a hug after, and perhaps sending a small smirk at the King…whose eyes started to narrow at him for the action.

"What's say we get to your last surprise eh?" he asked, pulling away to look at her.

She laughed, trust him to have even more in store for her, and nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her out of the room, neither of them noticing the King standing up with a frown and calling to a few guards to follow them. Not that it would have made a difference as they'd disappeared into the TARDIS before the guards could even make it out of the room.

~8~

"You've truly thought of everything haven't you?" the Professor asked him quietly. They were standing in the doorway of the TARDIS as it hovered within the Earth's atmosphere, just far enough in where they could see shooting stars as a meteor shower hit, but far enough out where they could still see the other stars. It was quite a sight to behold.

This truly had been the perfect day, he'd truly done everything for her, managing to incorporate all her favorite activities and places and things. He'd outdone himself.

"I'm sorry though," he whispered in her ear.

"For what?" she turned a bit, not around entirely but enough to look up at him. He just gave her a small smile and held out a sprig of freesia to her, completing the little bouquet he'd been building throughout the day, "Theta…"

"I'm very selfish," he told her, kissing her neck, "I'm a very selfish man. I didn't want to share you with anyone on your 1,000th birthday. Not even our friends, our family," for that's what they were, not just his family, but hers as well.

She smiled, moving her head to nuzzle the side of his, "That's ok with me, I wanted to spend it with you," she smiled as he looked at her, "You always were more social than I was. As long as I've got you, my birthday is _perfect_."

He leaned in and kissed her, the stars continuing to fall and shoot beyond.

A/N: Fingers crossed for the Comic-Con surprise being somewhere on the internet soon. And don't forget to check out The Hidden Lady of Time, which should be up within the hour. Also, just want to say, if you guys ever have any critiques or criticisms or anything, feel free to let me know, don't be afraid to say it or feel bad, I welcome them! You guys bring up lots of points I might miss and make me a better writer and I thank you for them :)

Gotta say just one more thing, I am loving writing fluffy 11s, but just a warning, this little collection won't always be about these incarnations or happy times.

Next chapter: The Fall of Arcadia


	5. The Fall of Arcadia

The Fall of Arcadia (8/6)

"Down!" the general shouted and they all hit the ground, their red camouflage uniforms did little to hide them from the enemy as a large blast of what was clearly Dalek laser flew over their heads, having been fired by rather large Daleks, equal enough to the power of a cannon.

They covered their heads, using their meager force fields to protect them from the Daleks flying above them, dropping bombs around them, the power of the force fields wouldn't hold up for long. It was one reason for their move across Arcadia. There was going to be a drop in the hold in the Mountains of Solace, more advanced weapons and shielding. A new force field had been constucted that would cover entire sections of the armies, solar powered by the dual suns, which would prevent Dalek fire and Daleks themselves from entering while also allowing Time Lord fire to escape. It would be a better way of defending themselves, being able to attack the enemy without worrying about their own lives at stake. But they had to make it to the hold first.

They'd planned to come to a fort in the fields of Arcadia, regroup, and continue on their path. They'd just reached the edge of the field to see that the fort was under attack...they'd steppd over bodies of fallen Time Lords trying to make their way to it, to try and help those few who survived pushe the Daleks back. They'd been too late, Arcadia had been lost, but the worst part was, they realized only too late that it was a trap. The Daleks had drawn them out into the open during their advance on the fort upon their general's orders, and attacked with a vengence.

The Daleks were advancing in far too great of numbers. Their own numbers were dwindling by the second. There was no cover, just a small series of mountainous ledges behind them, an open plan before them now that the fort had been destroyed, with much larger mountains in the distance for the Daleks to hide in. They were tired, hungry, weary, cold, and hopeless. And that was the worst feeling ever, to be that sure they would lose, to know they were a hair away from death by extermination.

"Fire!" the general ordered to the men and women remaining.

The Doctor grit his teeth as he fired his laser gun up at the Daleks looming above, his fire followed one Dalek as it flew past and his eyes widened at what he saw. He squinted into the distance only to see a massive amount of Daleks flying towards them, clearly reinforcements that the Daleks could afford but they could not, "Incoming!" he shouted, lifting his gun again, a few men beside him doing so as well.

They opened fire, managing to take out a few of the Daleks in the forefront, but it seemed like whenever one fell, two more took its place.

"We're running out of power!" one of his platoon mates called.

It was true, the power in their guns were running dangerously low, the Daleks seemed to increase the power to their own shielding every time the Time Lords encountered them. Whenever they fought, the Daleks were always a step ahead, their shields better, the weapons of the Time Lords too weak...

"What do we do?" another man called, they looked back at their general who had emptied the last of his power in his gun.

"Hope," the Doctor ground out.

It was all he could do. He refused to die in this battle. He couldn't. He just couldn't. Not yet, not now, not before he'd found her again. He _had to_ find the Professor if it was the last thing he did…

"Look!" a woman shouted.

They all looked up, hearing the cries of "Exterminate!" shifting from at them to above them.

The entire army turned, looking up, jumping as a sudden high-pitched noise sounded, a bright white ray of light shot out over them, literally encompassing the entire air above them, the field before them, spanning out far into the mountains beyond them.

"Cover!" the general shouted.

They ducked down, their hands over their heads, their guns above them to add more cover, none of them really knowing why…

Until they watched as the ray passed through the Daleks who froze in midair, midattack. They watched as their eyestalks began to spin rapidly, the armor that encased the creature heating up till it was white hot…before they exploded…

The army grimaced, shocked and disgusted, when bits of burning mutant flesh and debris of dalekanium began to rain down on them.

They slowly stood up, looking out into the distance as the same thing happened, all the way to the mountains, littering the field in smoking mess. Their eyes were wide, their mouths open, their uniforms entirely covered in the flesh of their enemies. And there they stood, for what felt like hours though they knew it was mere minutes, before a cheer arose.

"Victory!" the Time Lords shouted, grinning and whooping, clapping and embracing their comrades, in awe of the fact that they had survived.

"What was that?" the Doctor frowned, utterly startled at the devastation that had been rendered in only seconds. What in the world could have caused that? He reached out and grabbed the front of a nearby Time Lord's uniform absently, "What was that?" he asked the man.

"Her," the man replied, pointing back to the ledges behind them.

The Doctor turned, squinting into the second sun, lifting a hand to his eyes to see something that made his hearts stop.

There, standing on a ledge, was a woman. She was dressed entirely in black armor that seemed fitted to her person. Boots that went to her knees, heavy gloves on, her black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. He could see, even from his position, that she had ice blue eyes, he could even see the weapons strapped to her boots, hips, thighs, her back, and the gleam of knives of some sort on her arms.

She was standing rigidly on the small ledge, a large, advanced gun in her arms, aimed out at the field, the tip crackling with the white energy that had just blown over the field. He watched as she waited, making sure every Dalek had been wiped out as far as the eye could see, before she shifted. Standing straight up, her legs squared, the gun lowered.

The men and women of the platoon had turned and cheered, seeing her standing there as well, knowing that her lowering the gun meant they were truly safe. But the woman seemed deaf to the cheers directed at her, swinging the gun onto her back, before she turned in about-face and stiffly marched off.

"Kata…" he murmured under his breath, his eyes wide, the beginnings of tears in them as he saw her. He'd recognize her anywhere. Even if he couldn't hear her mind, it being shielded and blocked to the extreme, he knew it was her.

"No…" he breathed, shaking his head. He started to push his way through the still celebrating crowds, he couldn't let her leave now, not like this. He needed to get to her, he had to see her…what had happened to her?

"Doctor!" he heard one of his friends call, still alive despite the attack they'd just survived, "Wait!"

He felt someone grab his arm but he wasn't going to stop, not now, not now that he'd found her. He yanked his arm back, pushing on.

"No!" another one of his friends shouted.

He was pulled to a stop by the back of his uniform, two more of his friends joining him, one stepping before him, his hands on his chest, keeping him back, while another grabbed his arm.

"Let me go!" he shouted, straining to continue, "I have to get to her…"

"Doctor wait," the man before him shoved him back, "You don't understand..."

"That's the Professor!" he stopped pushing forward, but glared, "What is there to understand?" the men gathered before him, exchanging a hesitant look, "What is it? What happened to her?"

The man who had shoved him sighed, "There's something you should know about the Academics…"

~8~

The Doctor ducked down behind a large rock, hearing a noise coming from the small tent that had been set up, a sort of meeting area for the generals and captains to draw up their plans and review what to do next. The noise just broke his hearts even more, because it was the Professor speaking, his Kata, speaking of military tactics and defensive strategies, so emotionlessly, so matter-of-factly that he truly thought she might be a robot for a moment.

"…nothing but mistakes created by the incompetence of this general," the Professor was stating, her voice was harsh, raspy. It didn't suit her at all.

"Now see here…" the general of the platoon began, but the Professor would have none of it.

"Leading troops towards the sun is a tactical disadvantage. The light shines directly into the eyes of the soldiers, blinding them, while concealing the Daleks at the same time. The chosen path of progression, into an open, exposed area such as the field out there, gives the Daleks a clear, unobstructed angle of fire. You took the most direct route towards the Mountains of Solace when the less direct route was more advantageous. The Daleks knew you would take this shorter path, they planned for it. You led your men right into an ambush that never should have happened."

"I…"

"Take him away," the Professor cut in, "I have a report to send to the Council requesting immediate replacement and the assignment of a new general."

"You can't do that!" the general shouted.

"Would you care to stop _me_?" the Professor asked, a dangerous note in her voice.

There was silence a moment before the general stormed out of the tent, two captains after him.

He hesitated, listening, watching the tent to see if there was anyone else in there with her, before glancing around. Seeing the men currently stationed there distracted by the generals grumblings, he dashed forward and into the tent…only to stop short at the sight of a small gun aimed directly between his eyes.

"Kata," he gasped, holding up his hands in surrender.

The Professor didn't move for a moment, but eventually pulled the gun back and put it in the back of her pants, affixed to her belt, "Theta."

It wasn't a greeting. It was a statement.

"Kata…" he shook his head, looking at her with tears in his eyes, "I'm so sor…"

She just turned on her heel and walked to the back of the tent where a small computer system had been set up on a tall table. He swallowed hard at her sudden move and crept closer, watching as the symbols flew across the screen. It was the report she'd threatened the general with, stating exactly what had happened, what mistakes had been made, and what her recommendations were. She hadn't been joking, though he doubted this new her would, about the general's replacement.

The men had told him what happened to her, to all the Academics. They'd been rounded up, sent into specialized training, and become soldiers. They'd been taught everything, weapons, combat, defense and fortification, strategies and commands…they were elite soldiers, dangerous even. The Academics were only called when things looked bleak, when strategic battles needed to be won, battles that could make or break the war. When they arrived…run. Get behind them. Don't get in their way. Because they would decimate the enemy, obliterate them, as quickly as possible, whether that also meant gruesomely or violently as long as the Daleks were destroyed in the end.

The worst part was that there were some rumors among the men that a forced regeneration had been issued.

And looking at her now…he felt bile rise in him at the thought that she had been killed to become the soldier she was now. And he knew, he could just feel it, it killed her to be the soldier because it was just NOT her. This was not the girl who could sit for hours on end watching flowers bloom, who loved dancing to any sort of music with him no matter how horrible he was at following her, who would watch the stars in the sky and dream of being among them...this was a shell she'd been forced into, another cage the Time Lords were holding her in for their own selfish purposes.

He shook his head, looking up to see that the Professor had turned around, the computer closed, and was pulling off her thick gloves now that she wasn't handling the weapons. His eyes widened as a streak of silver caught his gaze, peeking out from beneath the sleeve of her black shirt.

"You've still got it," he murmured, looking at the bracelet he'd given her for her 100th birthday.

She looked down at the bracelet a moment and he could see just a hint of emotion flash through her hard eyes. He knew what she was thinking of. When he'd given her that bracelet they'd talked about going out among the stars and exploring. They'd promised to go together, he'd gone without her. He'd run, he was always running, always.

He'd briefly been United, married, to her cousin Mayra, 200 years of misery for him only made slightly bearable by the son they'd conceived near the beginning of that time. He'd stayed only till the boy was old enough to be an adult, 200 years, before separating from Mayra. And he'd run. Because he just knew that his Kata would be fuming to learn that he'd hurt her cousin the way he had. He couldn't bear to hear what he knew she'd say to him. He had been her best friend since he was ten and she was eight, he thought the world of her and knew she thought the same of him…to think that she might think even slightly less of him because of what he'd done was unbearable. So, instead of seeing what exactly she was going to say or do to him, he'd run. Stolen a TARDIS, their TARDIS, the one they'd always planned to take on their adventures, and run.

He hadn't looked back no matter how much it killed him. He sent her gifts from his adventures every now and then, asked about her every time he was on Gallifrey, but never saw her. He tried, God he'd tried. After running for so long…he'd broken. He'd snapped, he just wanted to turn around and run to her. It was torture to be out there, among the stars they'd looked at as children, without her. Not even the Companions he'd taken, the situations he'd gotten into, could completely take his mind off her, especially since he always managed to find something in his Companions that reminded him of her, some trait or habit or characteristic. He'd found himself wondering what she'd do in certain situations, imagining the things she'd say, the ways she'd get them out of trouble…his hearts broke more and more each day, when he'd look up from working on the TARDIS, or look behind him when he was running from an enemy, or wake up in his bed and realize she wasn't there.

He'd looked for her, tried to see her again, but every time he'd gone back to her, she was never there. When he ask he'd been told she was on a mission of some sort or busy in negotiations or reporting to the High Council and by the time she would have been released from such meetings he would have found himself in some sort of trouble and been forced off planet or lost his nerve and run...again...only to want to try to see her once more only hours later. She had found her way into Intergalactic Relations…so he'd tried to find a way into major events between species, hoping that she might be there to keep an eye on proceedings. But she never came. He'd only just discovered that she hadn't been allowed off-world for that very reason, because he'd be there.

The High Council had used him, he realized. Used her as well. He hadn't been about to come join the war, until the Council had contacted him themselves and told him she was fighting, asking him why he'd let her fight alone in the middle of a battlefield. He'd returned as quickly as he could, transferred from platoon to platoon trying to find her again. She hadn't died permanently by extermination, he knew that, he could feel it. If she died like that, he'd know.

He hadn't expected the woman he saw from the fields of Arcadia.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw her tug down her sleeve, covering the bracelet again. He couldn't help but frown at that, his hearts breaking even more at the thought that she didn't want anyone to see the bracelet she had once worn so proudly and openly.

"Preventative concealment," the Professor stated.

His eyes snapped up at her, shocked. And then it made sense. The hell the men made the training program seem to be from the rumors they'd heard…for her to still have the bracelet even now, she had to have had it with her all through training and must have taken extreme precautions against the Council seeing it, one single slip and it would have been taken away. She _had_ to hide it. And…the fact that she'd said even that to him…she'd seen his expression. He couldn't help but smile a bit, she was still in there somewhere, neither of them could stand to see the other upset for too long without trying to cheer them up.

"I'm sorry," he said again, for so much. For leaving her, for not being able to find her again, for not being able to save her from the training program or the war, for never having told her how much he…

He cut off his thoughts, knowing, even though he couldn't hear her thoughts through her barriers which meant she likely couldn't hear his, that he must have practically been screaming his in his mind. She just might pick up on _that_.

He watched her carefully, for any hint that she would give him his undeserved forgiveness.

Her eyes were cold. They'd been cold since he'd stepped into the tent, with only the barest hint of emotion when she'd glanced at the bracelet for half a second. They were so…lifeless. Like she'd given up, resigned herself to this life she was being forced to live…but also determined, like the soldier she was, to destroy the enemy. She wasn't fighting for her life so much as everyone else's.

"The TARDIS is intact?"

He laughed, tears in his eyes at that, before nodding, "She's a tough old girl," he told her, "Reminds me of someone very special," he looked at her softly, but she just stiffened, standing rigidly, her legs together, her arms at her side, every bit the soldier, at attention, ready for any disturbance that would have her jumping into action. He couldn't help but wonder if that made him the enemy in her eyes or if that meant she was alert and attentive to him? Her words...if her voice hadn't been so hollow he would have thought she was trying to joke with him, give him an opening to talk about his adventures as he knew she knew how he loved to talk. But...he couldn't seem to read her very well anymore. Not now. Not like this.

He swallowed hard, blinking a few times to keep the tears at bay for a different reason. He took a breath and launched into a tale about his adventures…she'd been more silent than ever, even when he'd first met her. He couldn't bear it.

She had spoken, he would take that as an opening as much as he could.

~8~

"…and they were _so great_ Kata," he continued. He'd talked for hours now about his travels, the adventures, the people who had travelled with him. He hadn't stopped, recounting every single one, the good, the bad, the ones who left, the ones who forgot…everyone. He looked at her, still standing there even after the time had gone, "You'd have been so proud of them, you'd have loved them…" he sighed, she hadn't moved, "They should have been you. They weren't you…"

He should have been concerned that he'd been there so long. He shouldn't have stayed. According to the men Academics were high priority soldier, well guarded, no chances were to be taken with them. They had to be at their best, no distractions, no interferences, nothing. But then again, no one was mad enough to enter the tent of an Academic now, not without permission, not if the Academic didn't order them in first. No one was mad enough, save him. And he couldn't just leave her once he'd seen her again.

"There was…there was one woman, Sarah Jane Smith," he smiled fondly, "She was so much like you Kata…" he shook his head, "Just like you. Confident, courageous, compassionate, so inquisitive. She wanted to be an investigative reporter, such a sharp mind and equally as sharp a tongue. She could get the best of some of my Companions just like you always got the best of me. She was so strong, determined, understanding too. Protective and hated violence, sympathetic. She reminded me of you. Made me miss you all the more. Made me realize that I should have told you something long ago. I _should_ have told you," he looked at her, seeing her staring at him, the only indication he'd had that she was paying attention to what he was saying was the fact that her eyes followed him wherever he went, standing, sitting, pacing, she was _listening_, "Kata I…"

His words were suddenly cut off by a loud whirring, soft at first, in the distance, but growing closer. He frowned, what was that?

"Extraction unit," the Professor stated quietly, as though reading his mind. Even if she wasn't reading his mind, she could _always_ read _him_.

He closed his eyes tightly. Academics never remained in one place too long, the Daleks had been growing more alarmed and desperate to take them out, the Council couldn't risk them being anywhere for more than six hours so not to lead the Daleks to them, they couldn't risk losing the soldiers they had spent so much time and so many resources training, not when the war so desperately needed these elite soldiers, soldiers that couldn't be created again any time soon. They were often extracted and moved around to other battles or taken back to safe houses and other facilities to wait till they were called in once more.

She was leaving. She was going to leave. And he couldn't stop her. He didn't know when he'd see her again…and he couldn't bear that…

As the noise of the unit grew closer, the Professor stepped over to his side on her way to the opening of the tent, and he felt something press into his hands. He looked down to see the bracelet in it and looked at her sharply.

"Return it," she ordered him, "After."

He started to smile, hearing the unspoken words. When the war was over, she wanted her bracelet back.

It was a promise and a threat.

She would make it to the end. She'd fight to survive, to see the war over. Because she wanted her bracelet back.

And he'd better be there to give it back to her himself. He'd better survive as well. He'd better fight just as hard.

He smiled, watching as she continued to walk out of the tent, not even looking back, but he knew she couldn't. If she did, they'd know someone was in the tent and if he was discovered hiding away in an Academic's tent, he'd be court-martialed...if he was lucky.

He quickly crept out of the back of the tent, sneaking around it to where a small group of men were standing around, watching as the extraction unit appeared, hovering above the crowd, a single rope with a loop descending. He watched, his hearts breaking completely as the Professor walked to the rope without a moment's hesitation and stuck her foot in the loop, holding onto the rope with one hand as it began to reel her back up.

He raised a hand to his eyes, watching against the light as she drew nearer to the unit. But…right before she disappeared, he knew she looked right at him.

He smiled to himself, squeezing the bracelet in his hand, before putting it in his pocket as he realized something.

Arcadia may have fallen, but their forces hadn't lost, he hadn't lost her either, not completely.

He hadn't been able to tell her what he'd longed to, that he loved her, but he would. One day. He would tell her. He'd see her again when the war was over, and he'd tell her finally.

She'd promised after all.

A/N: Wow! I am SO sorry that this chapter wasn't up as early as it usually is. I was reading through it once more hours ago and it just...wasn't what I wanted it to be. I mean, this is the Fall of Arcadia, it had to be better than I had it. So I rewrote some things, added scenes and dialogue, and got rid of some things. Originally the Doctor talked about ALL his Companions and adventures, but after I made it through the fourth Doctor I felt like I was taking away from it. I felt like, when he talked about that, the Professor should be responding and I couldn't do that because she was the soldier, and it also ended up being more like a list of things and just a mess of the Doctor's heart breaking every time she didn't respond to a joke or a laugh of his. In the end, I decided that I should come in at the end of his long talk of his adventures. This chapter is slightly based in a reference to Arcadia in my AU series, where the Professor mentions that she remembered Sarah Jane Smith from his talks of his adventures when they met in Arcadia, so I wanted to emphasize her more.

I hope coming in right near the end of the attack was alright, the way I see it, the Doctor's section of the army had just arrived to see Arcadia under attack and already falling and been attacked themselves, so it was a jumbled mess of lasers and death and they were already running low trying to make it to the drop site. I also tried to make this version of the Professor different than her 10th persona, they were both soldiers, but different ones. Here she's offensive with weapons, following through with threats, equally as quiet, even more stiff, and, not emotionless, but driven to do a soldier's work. Here she's protecting the planet and had to think on a larger scale, 10 was protecting the Doctor. But, even here, she has a soft spot for the Doctor :)

Just a note, this will probably be the last chapter that'll be updated on a daily basis. I've still got a few requests to write out (Keta's 100th Anniversary, the Magmazard, the Crawlspace Under the House, Four Things and a Lizard) so this story won't be updated as often as it has been. It WILL still be updated though, but we've got the Hidden Lady of Time to read in between updates at least :) And if you've got any requests for off-screen adventures, just let me know and I'll add it to the list :)

Next chapter: The 100th Anniversary of Keta


	6. The 100th Anniversary of Keta

The 100th Anniversary of Keta (11/11)

"Hello?" a man whispered, "Are you alright?" before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Immediately she grabbed his wrist and pulled, flipping him over her shoulder and onto his back as she sat on him, pushing his arms to the sides of his head.

"Ow!" he mumbled, "What was _that_ for?"

"What were you doing?" she glared at him.

He rolled his eyes, "You were lying on the floor of my TARDIS, unconscious," he told her, "I wanted to make sure you were alright," he eyed her a moment, "I'm the Doctor, by the way."

She frowned, eyeing him carefully. The man beneath her had floppy brown hair, green eyes, was dressed in a light blue shirt with braces, a tweed jacket…and a bow tie. She raised an eyebrow at that but swallowed her comment. She hesitated, looking back into his eyes a moment, they were kind, it didn't seem like he meant her any harm, "I'm the Professor."

He nodded, "Nice to meet you," he smiled, "Um…do you mind?" he nodded down at himself.

"Oh," she moved off him, sitting back as he sat up and rubbed his wrists, "Sorry."

He waved her off, "It's alright…but um…what are you doing in my TARDIS?"

She opened her mouth to answer but failed to answer…what _was_ she doing in this TARDIS? She frowned, "I…don't know…" she blinked, now that she thought about it…she really didn't know more than that. She knew her name, she knew this was a TARDIS, she was a Time Lady, and…she knew she was the _last_ Time Lady…but apart from that…she had no idea. Why didn't she know?

"You don't know?" he frowned, eyeing her.

"Do _you_ know why you're in this TARDIS?" she countered, sensing, somehow, that what she felt he did as well…

"Well of course I do," he laughed, "I…" but his laughter died away as he realized, he didn't either. He knew this was his TARDIS, he was a Time Lord, the last Time Lord, that he was called the Doctor, "Ah…" he frowned, "I don't either."

She nodded, "Do you happen to know anything besides your name?" she wondered, "Because I don't."

"No…" he admitted, "I don't," he blinked, "Why don't I?"

She shrugged, "I suppose we've both suffered some sort of memory loss," that much was obvious, "But what caused it?"

He grinned, spotting the door to the TARDIS, "Why don't we find out?" he jumped to his feet, reaching out to help her up and pull her towards the door but she pulled him back.

"Wait," she called, stopping him, "We should run an environment check."

He scoffed, "What for?"

She rolled her eyes, "We have no idea where we are, what we were doing, what's out there!" she argued, feeling a concern for his safety rising in her, she was...worried...about what dangers might lay out there more for him than herself, "For all we know we just ran from enemies and made it in here. Do you_ really_ want to walk right out there into the middle of them? I know I can defend myself well enough…" she stopped suddenly.

He frowned, "What is it?"

She blinked, shaking her head, "Nothing. I…I don't know why I said that…I don't know how to fight…I shouldn't…"

He eyed her a moment, a surge of sorrow as well as protectiveness flaring in him for some reason, "Let's run that scan," he conceded, wanting her to feel better at least about something. He tugged her to the console, sitting her down on the jump seat before moving to the monitor to run the scan. He glanced at her from time to time, watching as she looked herself over.

He'd done the same when he'd first woken. It was…jarring…to see yourself so different than what you thought you should look like and not remember even regenerating, or which regeneration you were on. The monitor beeped and he looked at it, "Ah, we're on the jungle planet Critton," he called to her, "In the Venga galaxy during the year 6834."

She nodded, "And we're Bonded."

He choked a bit at that, his eyes wide as he stared at her, shocked at her words, "What?"

She looked at him, "We…" she gestured between them, "Are Bonded."

"H-how do you know?" he frowned, completely thrown by that assumption. To Bond to someone, was a monumental deal, it wasn't something to be taken lightly.

She pulled two small rings off her ring finger of her left hand, "I'm wearing these," she held them up to him, getting up as well, "And so are you," she nodded at his left hand.

He looked down, blinking, as he saw the ring he was also wearing. How had he not noticed that? But then he looked closer and realized there was a low level perception filter on the rings, "That doesn't mean anything though," he cleared his throat, "We could have just married on Earth…or…"

"'Love you forever, Theta,'" she read off her wedding band, watching to see his reaction turn to shock at the sound of his true name. She stepped closer, holding it up for him to see the writing in Gallifreyan, "Since you call yourself the Doctor, and you reacted to that name, I take it it's yours?" he nodded slowly, "I can only assume something similar is on your ring?"

He shook his head and pulled the ring off his finger, looking at the inscription inside it, "'Love you always, Kata,'" he looked at her, "You?" she nodded. He stepped past her and sat down heavily on the jump seat. Well that was something, it wasn't every day you discovered you were Bonded.

"Since we clearly, at some point, knew each other's names," the Professor began, "The only way we'd know that, especially considering we're apparently married on Earth as well, is through Bonding."

He let out a breath of air and rubbed his face, "How?" he looked at her sharply, realizing how that might have come across, "I mean, how do we not remember that?"

She shrugged, "It's like you said, we should find out," she looked around, "I doubt anything in the TARDIS caused this loss of memory, stands to reason…it's something out there," she nodded at the doors.

He nodded and stood, "Well Critton is a peaceful enough planet, so I don't think we've been running from enemies."

"I suppose there's only one way to find out," she agreed.

They looked at each other and nodded, before heading for the doors. They paused a moment, pulling the door open and peering outside. They were in the middle of a thick jungle. Trees and bushes and vegetation everywhere, looming over them, birds cawing in the distance, heat of the triple suns overhead.

"No hostilities so far," the Professor murmured.

The Doctor grinned, "Let's go!" he grabbed her hand and rushed off into the jungles.

~8~

"Doctor!" the Professor hissed as he pulled her through bush after bush, gobbing on about the scenery…it wasn't like he had much else to say as their memories were nearly entirely wiped. They remembered some things, traditions and lessons from their people, but not much else, "You need to be quiet."

"Why?" he asked, turning around, walking backwards as he made his way through the vegetation.

She rolled her eyes, "Someone might hear you, you must be careful."

He laughed, "The Crittonians are a peaceful race," he waved off her concern, "They wouldn't attack us."

She frowned, she just couldn't help but feel like they were clearly on Critton for a reason. It was like there was something on the edge of her thoughts, like the danger was gone but the fact that there _had_ been danger in the first place left her on alert.

He grinned, seeing that she had no comment on that, and turned around again. He pushed through a large bush, "See," he continued, "We're perfectly…" he trailed off a moment, seeing the sight before them, "Safe…"

There was a small community just ahead. Quite a few huts on the ground, many more house-like structures in the trees above from what they could see. But what really made him quiet was the fact that there was a tribe of people sitting before them around a large bonfire, staring at them.

"Doctor!" an older woman, lightly tanned, stood from the bonfire. She was dressed in the typical attire of the people, a strapless green dress, barefoot, with a series of bracelets around her ankles and arms, a green headdress, like a small crown of twigs, berries, and flowers, on her head. Clearly this was the tribal leader, "Professor!"

"Hello!" the Doctor beamed, nudging the Professor, who had stiffened, until she waved at them.

"Have you changed your minds?" the woman asked, approaching them.

"Changed our minds?" the Professor frowned.

"And come to join our celebrations," the woman laughed.

"Celebrations for what?" the Doctor asked.

The woman's smile faded a moment as she eyed them, "Are you well?" she looked between them, "Doctor? Professor?"

"How do you know us?" the Professor said quietly.

The woman's eyes widened, "I am Subija," she told them, "Matriarch of the Bennoah Tribe," she introduced, "And I think I know what is wrong."

"What?" the Doctor shook his head, confused.

She just stepped closer to them, putting a hand to their faces and looking at their eyes, before leaning in and sniffing lightly. She nodded, stepping back. She turned to the tribe, "Maloti!" she called and a young man, garbed in short brown pants, stood, "Continue the festivities while I speak to our honored ones."

Maloti nodded and turned back to the fire, standing before it where Subija had sat before as she turned to them, "Come with me," she gestured for them to step back past the bush they'd stepped through before, back into the jungle.

"You do not remember why you are here, do you?" Subija asked and they nodded, "Nor much about your lives I would guess?" again, they nodded, "It is as I thought."

"What is?" the Doctor asked.

She sighed, "We have a flower here, Mora Jemna," she told them.

"A flower indigenous to the planet Critton," the Professor recited, "With the appearance of a tuft of pink webbing and purple leaves, the Mora Jemna is one of the few flowers that have a self sustained defense system. When plucked the Mora Jemna excretes a gaseous burst that renders the picker dazed and sleepy. Side affects of the burst can include…" she blinked, before rubbing her head, "Memory loss."

Subija smiled, nodding, "I suspect the Doctor may have tried to pluck one and, in trying to stop him, you were also hit Professor."

The Doctor frowned, "Why do you assume it was _me_ who plucked it first?"

Subija laughed and just shook her head at him. She had not known them long, the two having arrived on their planet just in time to save them, but the little she did know of them, the Doctor was the sort to do something without thinking while the Professor stopped him.

"I get the feeling you would," the Professor sighed, "Brilliant. I married an idiot."

"Oi!" he poked her in the side, making her twitch and try to swat away his hand.

"What were we even doing here?" the Professor turned to Subija, "What did we do before that?"

Clearly they'd done something to be these 'honored ones' among the tribe.

Subija smiled at them, "You saved us," she told them, "The Absorbaloffs of Clom invaded and attempted to steal our holy temples. They replaced our Earth Stones with odd rocks that caused the planet to suffer…"

The Doctor nodded slowly, listening, as he tried to work out what had happened. In the back of his mind, somehow, he knew the Absorbaloffs were reminiscent of the Slitheen, perhaps they had the same goals as the Slitheen always seemed to have with Earth, tearing it apart and selling it. From what it sounded, unlike with the Slitheen who often tried to tear a planet to pieces from the outside, the Absorbaloffs had tried to tear this one apart from within first.

The temples of the Crittonians were set up at key points along the planet, with stones that resonated with the core of the planet, keeping it in balance, healthy, much like a terra-forming device was geared to create life. To remove one would upset the balance of the planet, especially if the aliens had replaced the stones with some other, probably stones created to act in the opposite manner of an Earth Stone.

"You both stopped them," Subija continued, "I do not know how, but they left, taking their terrible rocks with them and were to never return. We invited you to our feast, to honor you, but you declined."

They nodded, well, now they knew why they were there.

"The flower's burst shouldn't last for too long," the Professor muttered, "But there's no telling how long," she looked at the Doctor, "We need to figure out a way to remember faster."

He nodded, they didn't know where they'd come from, if they had anyone travelling with them, anyone who might have gotten lost or who they were supposed to pick up soon. There was no telling if they were running from or to something without their memories. He looked at Subija, "Is there any sort of…antidote for the flower?"

Subija nodded, "There is. My tribe does not have the necessary items to make one, I am sorry. However the temples do have stores of antidote they could give to you. After all you have done for us, they will help you. Follow the third sun," she pointed up at the third sun, "It will lead to the nearest temple."

They nodded their thanks to her and turned to head off.

~8~

"Run!" the Doctor was shouting as they raced through the forests, a loud series of thumping behind them.

"I am!" the Professor called.

"Run faster then!" he grabbed her hand and pulled her on, into a large clearing.

"Oh that's just perfect," she mumbled sarcastically, now they were out in the open where they could be seen.

"Um…" he hesitated in the middle of the small clearing, looking around for a place to hide that was close enough.

"Doctor!" the Professor shouted, shoving him to the side, half tackling him as a beast ran past, having been inches away from barreling into him had she not moved as quickly as she had.

He fell to the ground with an 'omph' and laid there, winded, but the Professor was back on her feet as the creature, which looked remarkably like a dark brown lion but without a mane and a moose's head, turned and ran back at them.

"Professor!" the Doctor shouted, but the woman just pulled a small sonic blaster out and set it quickly, firing at the creature. It hit the shoulder of the beast and it fell to the side, scrambling up and running off, wounded.

She let out a breath and fell to her knees, stunned and panting.

"What was that?" he asked, moving over to her side, crouching down as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sonic blaster," she held up the small gun-like object, "Set for cannon levels…I didn't even know I _had_ one till I fell pushing you…" she moved to get up but let out a hiss of pain, pressing her right hand to her side.

"What is it?" he moved around to her front, gingerly reaching out to pull her hand away, seeing a red stain on her jean jacket. He frowned, opening it slightly to see the light yellow top she was wearing was shredded on the side, red leaking from it as well. It seemed the creature had managed to swipe at her when she'd pushed him aside.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, reaching out to help her up, he quickly moved her to the edge of the clearing, sitting her down to rest against a tree as he slowly took her jacket off.

She hissed a bit, looking down at the cut on her side, "It's not too bad is it?" she couldn't really see from her angle.

"No," he shook his head, patting down his pockets, seeing if he had anything that might be able to help, "Oh…" he blinked, pulling out a roll of gauze-like bandage from his inner pocket. He stared at it a moment, wondering why he had that with him before shaking his head, it really didn't matter.

"Well that's a stroke of luck," the Professor tried to laugh, only to wince as the movement tugged at her cut.

"Don't move," he said gently, lifting her shirt just enough to reveal the cut on the side of her lower abdomen. He tore a bit of the gauze and dabbed at the wound, just wanting to clean it as much as he could, before pressing pieces to her side, holding them as he proceeded to wrap the roll around her, holding the patches to her.

She took a breath after a moment, lowering her shirt again once he'd finished, "We need to find that temple…" she moved to get up but he held her down.

"Wait," he called, lowering her again, "I'll go…"

"No," she said quickly, gripping his arm, "No, just…give me a moment?"

He sighed, not really wanting her to move, not wanting her to hurt more, but able to sense that she wasn't about to let him go alone. He nodded and she smiled at him, closing her eyes and resting against the tree, holding her hand to her side as though it would help numb the pain.

"I'm not sure I want to find the temple," she admitted in a murmur after a moment of silence.

He looked at her sharply, frowning, "Why not?" she had been the one to say they shouldn't wait for the effects of the flower to wear off.

She sighed, "I have a gun," she held up the blaster, her eyes still closed, "What sort of person am I if I carry a gun with me?"

He blinked, he hadn't thought about that. But he could see the hesitancy in her voice, the…pain. To have a weapon, any weapon, and not know why, not know how you knew how to use it…it must be terrible.

"Protective," he said.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, "What?"

"The sort of person you are," he answered, "Protective. Calm. Rational. Brilliant. Strong. Eager…" he looked at her a moment, reaching out to touch her face before he even realized he'd moved, "Beautiful."

She slowly reached up and took his hand, pulling it away from her cheek but not letting go of it, "How can you be certain?" she whispered, "You don't remember me. I don't remember me. I didn't want to kill that thing, I _aimed_ for the shoulder, and I _hit_ it. That shot…I made it. For all we know I could be a…a killer…"

"You're not," he shook his head, speaking so vehemently that she was almost shocked by the conviction in his voice, "I _know_ you're not."

She blinked and he could see tears in her eyes, "How do you know?"

"I don't," he answered, moving her hand to rest against the center of his chest where she could feel his hearts beating, "But I can feel it," she didn't seem to believe him so he continued, "How about me?" he asked, making her look at him, "What do YOU think about me?"

She looked at him, staring into his eyes a moment, "You're kind," she whispered, "Compassionate. Empathetic. Funny. Energetic. Handsome," she smiled a bit, pulling her hand away from his, lifting it as though she were about to touch his face, "If a bit of an idiot," she laughed, tugging his bow tie, "A bow tie?"

"Oi!" he defended, smiling, "Bow ties are cool."

She shook her head, "I suppose that makes you cool as well."

"And yours," he added, a blush creeping up his neck, though he didn't take the words back. He could feel that, deep down, in his hearts, he knew it. He was hers, completely. No matter what. No matter what he forgot or remembered, he knew it. He belonged with her.

"As I'm yours," she nodded lightly, staring into his eyes.

He smiled softly, slowly leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss that spoke volumes of a love they couldn't remember but felt growing between them nonetheless.

~8~

"Oh finally!" the Professor laughed as they stepped through a bush to the bottom of a temple's steps.

The Doctor grinned, his arm around her waist, careful of her wound, while he held one of her arms over his shoulder, helping her move, "Come on," he stepped forward, helping her up the many steps to the top of the temple.

They entered a room to see a number of men dressed in brown toga-like outfits, kneeling on the floor, their heads pressed to the ground as they faced a stone glowing on a pedestal. There were two men standing on either side of the pedestal, observing it, before noticing them standing in the back of the room a moment later.

The man standing to the right nodded at the man on the left before walking around the praying men and over to them, grinning, "Doctor! Professor!" he greeted warmly, reaching out to take their hands, bowing at his waist, pressing their hands to his forehead by way of honoring them, "We are blessed to see you once more."

They gave him a strained smile, not having a clue who he was, but knowing he was possibly one of the men in charge, "Yes!" the Doctor nodded, "Right, hello!"

"We need your help," the Professor got right to the point.

The man's eyes widened, "Yes of course," he nodded, "Any way we could help you, you need only ask."

"Thanks," she continued, "We need an antidote to the burst of the Mora Jemna."

The man nodded, "It is a very common request," he laughed, putting a hand on the Doctor's shoulder and gesturing for them to follow him out of the room. They stepped into a side room, following him down a shorter set of steps to what looked like a storeroom, with shelves full of vials and large containers of fluids.

They followed him through the shelves of fluids and to one in the back, a honey colored liquid in a small vial. He picked up two of them and turned, handing them the dosage.

The looked at each other a moment before lifting the vials and downing them, grimacing at the taste. For looking like honey it tasted remarkably like bark and grass and dirt…the Doctor actually tried to wipe his tongue off with his fingers as though it would help get the taste off.

The Professor managed to get a laugh out at that, before she suddenly gripped her head in pain, the Doctor doing the same.

"Yes," the man nodded, seeing their reactions, "It will take a moment for the pain to pass…"

Nearly a full minute had gone by before the pain started to lessen. They blinked a few times, looking around, before their gazes caught each other and they smiled.

"Doctor," the Professor breathed.

"Professor," he reached out, taking her hand, squeezing it, before he lightly pulled her towards him, kissing her, feeling her mind connect to his again, their memories returned, their love even stronger.

~8~

"What's the matter?" the Professor asked as she walked over to the Doctor, sitting on the jump seat, from piloting the TARDIS into the Vortex. She put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it before rubbing his back. She could tell he was upset over something, she couldn't begin to say how happy she was that she could feel him again. She had before, even without the memories they had been connected, but she and the Doctor had both been a bit guarded having lost their memories.

He sighed, looking up at her, "Today was our 100th anniversary," he told her.

"Yes…" she nodded, frowning, "I know. But why's that upset you?"

He reached out and took her hand, "I had so much planned," he admitted, "Surprises, romantic gestures, _so much_…" he shook his head, "And now our day's almost over and we ended up forgetting it nearly the entire time."

They had been about to head out for a surprise the Doctor had planned when the TARDIS had picked up a disturbance in technology on a jungle planet. They'd gone to check on the people, of course they had. With a bit of digging around with the people, scans from the TARDIS, threats from the Professor and words from him, they'd been able to scare the Absorbaloffs off. He'd told her, as they headed back for the TARDIS, that he was sad that their anniversary had started off on that foot, dealing with an alien horde, but the Professor had just smiled and said it wouldn't be them if they didn't help someone else, that it was the perfect way to start their day.

He'd still wanted to make a romantic gesture and spotted a lovely pink flower that reminded him of cotton candy and smelled like a mix of peaches and vanilla. He'd moved to pick it and the Professor had jumped towards him to stop him, knowing full well what would happen if he tried to pluck the Mora Jemna flower, and they'd both gotten blasted by the flower's defenses. They'd stumbled back to the TARDIS, thankfully nearby, the only safe place they could think to wake up in once the flower's gas took effect.

It was his fault. It was all his fault that their anniversary had been ruined.

"Hey," the Professor said softly, cutting into his thoughts, sensing them, "It wasn't ruined," she ran a hand through his hair, "In fact, I think this was the best anniversary we've had yet."

He looked up at her sharply, "What?" she nodded, "How was THAT the best one yet?"

She smiled, "I got to fall in love with my husband, my Bonded, all over again."

He blinked and started smiling as well, he'd gotten to fall in love with her as well. His grin widened as he thought of something, "I think I may be able to get one last surprise in," he told her, standing and running to the console.

She laughed and sat on the jump seat, watching as he ran around, knowing he didn't want her to peek. He pulled a lever and dashed past her, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him in the process. He stopped by the doors, kissing her quickly, before throwing the doors open.

She looked out, seeing they were floating in space, but what caught her attention was the light starting to form before her. She let out a breath, her mouth dropping open as she saw what he had planned.

"You…" she shook her head, unable to form the words to describe exactly what she felt she was that overwhelmed.

"Me," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her as they stood there, watching the star being born before them, reminding them of the first step of the Bonding process that they had ever accomplished.

She leaned back against him, wrapping her arms over his own, watching as the warm light grew stronger, the star forming in its entirety.

She looked up at him, giving him a soft kiss, "You know…I think there may be some residual memory loss Theta."

"Oh?" he looked at her, frowning, he could sense she wasn't _really_ forgetting something, but that she had something planned.

She nodded, taking his hand and pulling him along towards the steps as she walked backwards, "I think you may have to jog my memory."

"About what Kata?" he started to smile, sensing her thoughts.

She grinned, "Why do we put the bow tie on the bedroom doorknob again?"

He laughed, squeezing her hand and pulling past her, tugging her eagerly down the hall.

A/N: At first, this chapter was like, nothing but fluff. But…I actually started thinking it was almost becoming too cheesy at one point and that they would be just as fluffy during EVERY anniversary and I wanted this one to be different. Last week I was at a wedding and the vows really inspired this chapter. The bride was saying how she and the groom were high school sweethearts but separated when they went to different colleges, then they actually ended up back together again, working at the same company! She was saying how he was so different from the boy she remembered in high school and that it was a great thing, because now she got to fall in love with him all over again. I thought that was so sweet and I rewrote this chapter because I wanted to show that, even not knowing who each other are, the Doctor and Professor would still be together. As the Professor said, she got to fall in love with her husband all over again :)

I'm going to try and get the next chapter up in a few days. It's shaping up to be a bit of a shorter, one-scene type chapter that only involves one of our beloved Time Lords. So it shouldn't take too long :)

Next chapter: Ace and the...Professor?


	7. Ace and the Professor?

A/N: Just to give a bit of background for this chapter. Ace was a Companion of the 7th Doctor whose real name was Dorothy. She had a habit of calling the Doctor 'Professor' instead, which made for an interesting prompt of how he felt about that. I had to look up a bit about her from Wikipedia and other sites to make sure I was getting information correct. It seems like she's a bit of a brilliant, street-wise, tough girl, with a painful/traumatic past. This chapter will contain flashbacks so, while the main Doctor will be the 7th, the flashbacks will contain his first incarnation and the Professor's first as well.

We will have two flashbacks inspired by instances mentioned in The Time Lords' Mother, one from Age of Steel, one from The Girl in the Fireplace, one from The Shakespeare Code, and one from Blink :)

~8~

Ace and the…Professor? (1&7/1)

"Well that was something," Ace remarked as she entered the TARDIS. She'd been standing outside the doors for a few moments, saying goodbye to a friend of the Doctor's who worked in UNIT, the Brigadier, with whom they'd shared their latest adventure. It had been quite an interesting one to say the least but she was just as eager to get out there and go on another one.

She hesitated, seeing the Doctor absently standing at the console, seeming to be reading something on a small screen. She walked over and looked down, seeing a mess of symbols she couldn't understand flying across the screen. The Doctor seemed to be a cross between thoughtful and sad as he watched the symbols.

He stayed that way even after the symbols disappeared and the screen went blank.

She looked at him a moment, then back down at the screen, then him. He was lost in thought, she knew, she recognized that expression.

"Professor?" she asked him.

She knew he was called 'the Doctor,' or that he preferred being called 'the Doctor,' had introduced himself as such, but he was far more of a Professor in her mind. He was always spouting facts and equations and science and explaining things…not really big in the medicine department. So she'd taken to calling him 'Professor.'

He didn't move, didn't even react.

"Professor?" she tried again, nudging him.

"Yes," he jolted, looking over at her, "Sorry, what?"

She rolled her eyes, "You alright Professor?"

That got a reaction out of him. He winced.

"Don't call me that," he muttered, moving away from her to check on the controls around the console.

"I've called you it before," she remarked, following him, secretly watching him. She was a quick study when she wanted to be, she was hoping she might be able to pick up a few things about how he piloted the magic box they travelled in, maybe fly it herself one day…even though she had no idea what any of the buttons, knobs, or levers did.

"I called you Dorothy once," he countered, bringing up her name and not her nickname of Ace, "You told me not to. I'm telling you, don't call me the Professor."

She frowned, crossing her arms, "Why not?"

"Ace…"

"I told you why I'd rather be called Ace, now tell me why you don't want to be called the Professor."

"Ace, leave it alone."

"Tell me."

"Ace I'm being serious…" he began, feeling his temper start to rise. One simple request, don't call him that, why was she being so difficult?

"Just tell me."

"Ace!"

"Professor!" she countered, glaring.

"Don't _call me _that!"

"Why?" she shouted.

"Because she isn't here!" he snapped, returning her glare for a moment before letting out a sorrowful breath and bowing his head, staring unseeingly at the console, "Because she isn't here and when you call out 'Professor' I think she is…" he closed his eyes, "And when I look up and see she's not…" he shook his head, "It _hurts_."

Ace blinked, startled at his confession. The Doctor didn't typically talk about his feelings much, didn't really _talk_ about anything now that she thought about it. He was very private.

She swallowed hard, "I'm sorry," she said softly.

He sighed, "Me too."

She stepped closer to him, working it out as she went, apparently he knew a woman, called the Professor, and, for some reason, she wasn't travelling with him like he clearly wanted her to be, "Who is she?"

He rubbed his forehead, it was too late to take it back now, Ace wouldn't stop till she found out, "My best friend. I've known her since I was 10 years old. We…we had plans, to travel the Universe in _this _TARDIS," he patted the console sadly, "_Our_ TARDIS."

~/~\~

"_Theta!" she squealed as he tugged her along, "Where are we going?"_

"_It's a surprise Kata," he smiled back at her, squeezing her hand as he led her down the back streets around the Academy, "Come on!"_

_She laughed as he pulled her around a corner, starting to jog after him as he walked quickly…his average pace she knew. She followed him willingly, she always did, so eager to see what he saw, the adventures that their world, the Universe, offered them._

"_Are we nearly there?" she asked, and he knew she was trying to guess at where they were headed. _

_He knew better than to say anything. She was wicked smart, could probably work it out from the most random of questions, "Not saying!" he winked at her, pulling her on._

_They went down only a few more paths before his grin widened, "Here we are!" he beamed at her, gesturing at the large building in front of them._

_She blinked in confusion, "The museum?"_

_It was a building constructed near the Academy, usually used for short school trips and offering a place to go for research and education._

"_Yeah," he nodded, pulling her inside, "I found something. I want to show you it."_

"_Theta we've been here dozens of times," she remarked as she followed him through the corridors, up the stairs, through displays, not too sure where he was going, "We've probably seen everything…"_

"_Not this," he countered, looking around to make sure the coast was clear before pushing open the door to the TARDIS wing. It was designed to show the evolution of TARDISes, holding the very first to examples of the latest models._

"_What?" she asked as he led her right to a beautiful old TARDIS, shaped like a rather ordinary gray box…more like a door with three walls around it, a Type 40. He just grinned and flashed a small pen-like device at the door, unlocking it, "That's breaking and entering," she laughed, not at all chastisingly._

"_Sonicing and entering," he winked, slipping the device back into his pocket and pushing the door open._

_She gasped when she saw inside it. Despite its rather drab outward appearance, inside was beautiful. Bright, warm, comforting, amazing…and, of course, bigger._

_He took her by the hand and led her right over to the console, reaching out his free hand to place it on the panels, fingering a control gently, "You," he whispered, looking at the small rotor, "Are the most beautiful thing I have ever known."_

_She smiled, "She is beautiful, isn't she?" she asked, still looking around the room. They'd been in many TARDISes, but this one…by far…was the most amazing. There was just something special about it, something different._

_He turned to her, looking at her softly, squeezing her hand to get her to look at him, "However true that is," he smiled, "YOU are still the most beautiful PERSON I have ever known."_

_She laughed lightly at that, shaking her head fondly, "Now I know you're mad," she told him, glancing around the room once more, "A madman with a box."_

"_It's your box too," he countered with a pout, "It'll be OUR box."_

"_Our box," she repeated softly, "I like the sound of that."_

_He could only grin at her._

~/~\~

Ace frowned, "So what happened?"

"I left her there, on our planet. I…I made a terrible mistake and I knew it would hurt her. She would never forgive me and so…I ran."

~/~\~

_He stood in the TARDIS, looking down at the console. He'd done it. He'd finally ended his Union with the most vapid, shallow, irritating woman he'd ever met. Honestly, how in the Universe she was related to his Kata, he'd never know._

_God what had he done? He'd just left his…ex-wife…for lack of a better term...his son hated him…and now he was about to abandon the woman he truly lo…_

_He closed his eyes tightly, looking at the console, at the coordinates he'd put into the screen, Earth. He swallowed hard, he had to leave. Now. Before Kata could find him, before he could see the anger, the pain, the…hatred in her eyes for what he'd done._

_He didn't want to do this. This was THEIR TARDIS. The one THEY were supposed to explore the Universe in. And here he was, about to go off, alone, without her._

_He heard the monitor beep and looked down. Someone was coming, probably one of the guards of the museum. The TARDISes were all shut down in this wing, he'd powered one up, it was bound to trigger some sort of alarm somewhere._

_He had to go…now._

_He reached out and gripped a lever. THE lever. The one that would send him off, into the Vortex…without the Professor, his Kata._

_He swallowed hard, hearing a door lock clicking outside the now thin walls of the TARDIS, he'd have to change that, put up shielding or something…_

_He pulled the lever, sending himself off just before the door to the wing could open._

_He could only hope that, one day, she would forgive him, for everything._

~/~\~

"If she's your best friend, I'm sure she would have forgiven you," Ace said, "It can't have been that ba…"

"I separated from my Union…er, marriage…to her cousin," he cut in, "They were close, as close as sisters I think. They were always together, Mayra she…she would always call the Professor, they'd talk, meet up, help each other…"

~/~\~

"_Where are you off to?" he asked, looking up from the Pika flowers. It had been only a few days since she'd graduated from the Academy, since he'd learned she'd been offered a position as an Academic, since her cousin Mayra had asked to meet with him…at dinner…_

"_Mayra contacted me," she sighed, having gotten up, brushing dirt off her skirt as she slipped her small comm. device into her pocket. _

_He could see it in her eyes, she didn't want to leave. It was a tradition for them, every year, to watch the Pika flowers blooming…and she was leaving earlier than usual. She was leaving…to meet Mayra…_

"_I didn't know you and your cousin were so close," he commented._

"_Yeah, close," she murmured, "Closer than you think."_

"_What do you mean?" he looked up at her, confused._

"_We're so close it's almost like we share a mind and one of our hearts," she sighed, "Do anything for her, me."_

_He frowned, there was something in her words…he couldn't really make out what it was, why she was saying what she was. He knew there was some sort of meaning behind it, but…well, she'd always said he couldn't think as fast as her. He shrugged to himself, she would tell him eventually._

"_I have to go though," she told him, a sadness in her eyes, a reluctance, "She…she's nervous about meeting you tonight. I should go coac…calm! Calm her."_

_His brow furrowed as she covered her words, "…alright then?" _

_It was more of a question than anything. She was acting odd. But he shook it off, she was probably just concerned for her cousin. She was amazing like that. He sighed, shaking his head as she gave him a small smile and walked off, hitting a teleporter on her way._

_He rubbed a hand down his face. He was dreading this meeting. The LAST thing he wanted to do was spend a minute with Mayra, let alone an entire dinner. But…she was Kata's cousin…he could do this for her. Give her a chance. Who knows…perhaps she wouldn't be as bad as he thought she'd be?_

~/~\~

He winced at the memory, it was the beginning of the end for him.

"I broke from Mayra. I destroyed the Professor's family by doing that. I left her because I knew she'd hate me for hurting Mayra like that."

"Well, why don't you go back then?" she suggested, "Apologize. Ask her to come. I wouldn't mind it if…"

"I can't," he cut in, "I've tried to see her, to apologize, but…she's rather busy it seems. The High Council sends her all over the planet to help settle disputes and talk peace settlements, she's in Intergalactic Relations. I can't seem to get the timing right, be there when she's there," he looked at the screen again, "I asked my family to keep an eye on her for me, make sure she would be alright," he sighed, "That," he nodded at the screen, "Was a message from my brother she…" he swallowed hard, "She's regenerated. Apparently a negotiation turned hostile…"

"But she's alright?" Ace asked. The Doctor had mentioned regeneration a few times to her, she knew that it meant the woman had been near death, it had to be bad.

"She's fine," he said quickly, seeming pained by just the thought of her being in such a situation, "Quite the researcher now apparently…even more of an Academic than before…" he added the last part in a soft mutter, "I wasn't there…"

Ace was silent, she really didn't know what to say about that. She could see that he felt terrible about what he'd done, what had happened, but…she could see it, something beneath his words. He wasn't just upset that he'd hurt this Mayra woman, he was upset that he'd hurt the Professor.

"What was she like?" she asked.

The Doctor looked up at her, startled, "Wh…"

"The Professor," Ace answered, she could tell, he missed the woman. Talking about her would help him, reliving the best of her would help him feel better. Telling her about it, getting it all off his chest, sharing…it would do him wonders, "What was she like."

He blinked and stared a moment, "Um…" he smiled softly, "Rather a bit like you, to be honest…"

Ace smiled, "Really?"

He nodded, giving her a little laugh, "Oh yes," he looked at Ace fondly, "She was clever, far cleverer than me most times. She was brilliant in our studies. Everything, history, math," he shot a wink at Ace, "Science…"

~/~\~

"_Theta!" she laughed, holding up her book to shield herself from his small attack with tiny paper balls, "You've got to concentrate!"_

"_I am!" he defended, laughing as well as he crawled around the floor of her room, trying to pelt her with the tiny bits of paper, "On you."_

"_Then concentrate on what I'm trying to teach you," she opened the book and pointed at a solar map, at one star, "What's this?"_

"_Um…a star?"_

"_No…really?" she rolled her eyes, "Honestly, that was just brilliant," she whacked him with a pillow, "You'll pass this exam alright…"_

"_Oi!" he clutched the pillow, moving to put it behind his back as he sat against her bed across from her, "No need to get sarcastic Kata."_

"_Do you want to pass this class Theta?"_

_He sighed, "What is it then?"_

"_Well, to start, it's not A star, it's two," she answered, turning the book to look at the star herself, "The dog star. Sirius. Binary system."_

"_Right, yes, of course," he nodded, "I knew that."_

"_Typically used by Earthlings to navigate, find the way home."_

"_They should rename it then," he remarked._

_She looked at him curiously, "To what?"_

"_Kata."_

_She blinked, frowning, "Why?"_

_He smiled at her, "Because…when I'm with you…I'm home."_

_She blinked again and smiled shyly, looking back down at the book, a faint pint tint to her cheeks, "That's very sweet," she told him, "But it's not gonna put me off my stride," she laughed, taking his words to be a joke, a distraction, she had no idea just how serious he was, "What's this one?" she pointed to another. He frowned, looking at it intently, "Come on Theta, I'll give you a treat if you can name it."  
_

_His eyes widened a bit and he grinned, "Proxima Centauri."_

_She laughed, "Very good," she turned and opened a draw to her desk she was sitting against, reaching in and pulling out a small paper bag. She pulled something out and tossed it to him._

"_Jelly Babies!" he munched happily on it._

"_More where that came from," she told him, turning to hold the book up once more, "This star?"_

_He shook his head at her, she knew exactly what to do to get him to focus on his studies. He didn't know where he'd be without her._

~/~\~

Ace laughed at his wink, she was rather liking this Professor woman.

"She saved my neck a few times, got me out of trouble, always watched out for me…"

~/~|~

"_Why did you do that?" he grumbled as he let himself be pulled out of the Academy and through the forests around it._

"_Because if I hadn't, you'd have punched him," she countered._

"_I wouldn't have punched him," he defended._

"_Theta…"_

"_I'd have killed him," he finished._

_She stopped and turned to face him just as they entered the small clearing where the Pika flowers would bloom in a few months, "Don't say that."_

"_He would have deserved it too!" he shouted, "You heard what he said to you Kata!"_

"_Yes I did," she nodded._

"_Then why are you being so calm about it?" he pulled his arm away and started to pace frantically, "God! How could he even say that? I know he's angry, that he gets terrible migraines but it's no reason to take it out on you. I mean, I know he doesn't like you, I have no idea why, it's got to be impossible to dislike you even a bit…but to say that? And then to LAUGH about it? I honestly don't even know why I'm still friends with him, why I even continue to speak to him with the way he treats you. You don't deserve that Kata. You deserve to be happy and I promised, I SWORE to myself, I'd make you happy…I just…how could he be so cruel? How could he even think…is he THAT jealous of our friendship that he would take every opportunity to mock it? I was NEVER friends with him the way I am with you…if I was, I wouldn't have wanted to punch him so badly…no, not just punch, strangle him! It would have been right to clobber him, he shouldn't have been able to get away with that unpunished. He deserved a good thrashing. I know it, you know it…" he spun around to her, panting, "Why did you stop me Kata?"_

"_Because anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake," she said calmly._

_And just like that, with a single exhale of air, he deflated._

_She smiled softly, seeing him calm instantly at her words, she wouldn't lie and say she wasn't hurt by the words that had just been spoken inside the Academy, he knew they hurt her, so she didn't say anything about it for fear of it setting him off again._

"_If you had hit him," she continued, "He'd have gone running to the teachers, who would have informed the headmaster. You'd be expelled faster than you can say Untempered Schism. You know the teachers are just waiting for an excuse to 'discipline' you. We've been lucky, they've never caught us. If you'd hit him…" she shook her head, "Call me selfish Theta, but I couldn't let you get kicked out…I'd be alone…I…I don't want to be here if you aren't. I don't want to be anywhere you aren't."_

"_Me either," he admitted quietly. _

_He took a breath. _

_She was right. _

_The Master had insulted her, again. She hadn't even done anything, not really, just tried to get the two of them to stop arguing. He'd made a biting remark about how holidays were coming up, had asked her if she was expecting to be invited over to the Doctor's home like last time…because, clearly, her parents couldn't be bothered with her and probably didn't even want her home for the holidays if at all._

_He'd lost it. He knew EXACTLY how her life at home before the Academy was. And for the Master to say that…he'd never been so angry._

"_Thank you Kata," he reached out and squeezed her hand, "You always have my back don't you?"_

"_Of course," she nodded, squeezing back, "Like you've got mine. The two of us."_

"_Forever," he smiled._

"_Oh always!" she laughed._

~/~\~

He looked at Ace, the young woman was much the same. She seemed to think he needed someone to look out for him, much like the Professor did.

"She…" he cleared his throat, "She didn't have the best childhood…" Ace's smile faded, growing more empathetic, she too had had several traumatic events in her own childhood, "Her father…" he shook his head, he couldn't bring himself to speak of him, he hated even _thinking _about the man.

"She didn't talk about it much either," he added, seeing Ace's gaze turn distant as she thought on her past.

~/~\~

"_Just leave it alone!" she shouted, stomping into her dorm room._

"_I can't!" he argued, following her, "Why can't you just talk to me. I just want to help!"_

"_Because I don't WANT to talk about it!" _

_He winced as she slammed her door shut behind them, "You already have," he pointed out, "Not always in words," he added when she opened her mouth to argue, "In your expressions, in how you act, in how you react…" he took a breath, "You flinched when I met you again in the library after we'd gotten your wrist taken care of. You thought I was going to hurt you. You admitted someone hurt you. It had to be someone at your home. And the way you tense whenever one of my friends sit by you…you don't tense like that when your roommates do…"_

_She opened her mouth again but he held up a hand._

"_And don't tell me it's because you know them better. You don't tense when any GIRL sits next to you, but you do if it's a BOY…at least ones who aren't me," he smiled softly at her, a bit happy and proud and relieved that she wasn't scared of HIM, "It…it was your father wasn't it?"_

"_Don't," she cut in sharply._

"_If he hurt you…"_

"_Stop it!"_

"_You told me I was like a doctor the day after we met, I just want to help you!"_

"_I don't want your help!" she shouted. She swallowed hard, ignoring the pain in his eyes at her words. This was an ongoing argument with them. He didn't usually push her to talk, trying to wait, but…even Time Lord patience could grow thin. He was usually only like this, because he was concerned, because she'd had a nightmare or some other severe reaction to something._

_She'd had a nightmare. Days ago. She hadn't been able to sleep since. It had been horrible, the worst ones were the ones where her father would hurt her…but then he'd appear and try to save her…only for her father to turn and go after him instead. She'd pretty much passed out in the library, at the top study area. He'd been studying across the table from her, not wanting to wake her…until she'd started screaming. He'd woken her up, managed to gather enough from her frantic cries for 'Daddy stop! Leave him alone' to grasp what she was dreaming of, managed to get her to admit to the first nightmare, her lack of sleep being obviously caused by it._

"_I'm sorry," he whispered, realizing how he'd been trying to force her to talk about something she wasn't ready to confront yet. It was just so hard…to see her in such pain…and not be able to do a thing about it._

"_Me too," she sighed, rubbing her head, "I just…I want to forget about it. All of it. I don't want to TALK about it."_

_He looked up, this was as close to an admission of what she'd endured as he'd ever gotten. He nodded, "Ok."_

_She smiled at him and walked over, hugging him, "If I ever do…you'll be the first person I come to."_

_He hugged her back tightly, his hearts breaking for her, "You promise?"_

"_Cross my hearts," she whispered._

_And then he just held her close, hugging her, unwilling to let go._

~/~\~

He looked over at Ace, "She's so much like you," he told her.

The Professor was just like one of his other Companions, Sarah Jane Smith, in her emotions, her capacity to help and love, her quick wit, her words. But she was just as much like Ace in personality, brains, history…

As he looked at Ace he made a promise to himself, one he knew the Professor would have made herself she been there. Ace had so much potential, cleverness, determination, drive…he would have to make sure that she grew into it, used it to its fullest. He wouldn't let her waste her talent and her brains, he'd help her, teach her, as the Professor would have.

It would be difficult, he knew, he was nowhere near as excellent a teacher or tutor as the Professor had been, helping him get through school when he would struggle here and there. But he'd manage. He'd find a way to make her a stronger person both in mind and spirit.

"She sounds amazing," Ace remarked, pulling him from his thoughts.

The Doctor could only nod, "She is."

Ace smiled, "I'm still gonna call you 'Professor' though," he looked at her sharply, about to argue, glaring, when she held up a hand to stop him, "In her honor."

He blinked, startled, "What?"

She laughed, "If I call you that, then, in a way, she's here with us, with you, isn't she?"

He blinked again but Ace wasn't finished.

"She's your best friend, you care about her a lot, so she'll always be with you, in mind, in heart, in spirit. You said I remind you of her, so it's almost like she's here in personality as well eh? And I'm not the only one who's like her you know. You're pretty incredible too…Professor," she smiled at him.

He smiled back, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad holding her title for a bit…his hearts warmed at the thought that, by doing so, it really was as though the two of them were together again, exploring the Universe, saving civilizations, fighting enemies, and running, a lot…just as they'd planned. And one day, one day soon, he'd be able to do so, with her.

The two of them together, forever and always.

A/N: I just want to say, I'm so sorry for not updating this story. I swore I'd uploaded this chapter last week, but I must have exited the page before it finished. I thought this chapter was up until I got a PM and a review asking where it was. I thought it was weird that no one reviewed this chapter and went to check and nearly DIED seeing that it hadn't been uploaded. I reworked it a bit, putting in the flashbacks, I hope you enjoy! Sorry again!

And just a note on a review, yes, the Professor is slightly inspired by River Tam from Firefly :)

Next Chapter: The Magmazard


	8. The Magmazard

The Magmazard (1/1)

'_Kata!_' a voice screamed in her mind.

She shot up in her bed with a gasp, looking around for her friend Theta, for he had been the one to shout so loudly as though he were right in the room with her. She closed her eyes tightly, realizing what happened, and rubbed her forehead.

'_Theta?_' she called hesitantly in her mind.

He'd somehow managed to talk her into trying to establish a more firm mental bond with each other. It had only been about six years or so since she'd visited his home with him and he'd told her he thought they might one day Bond with each other. According to him, since one of the steps was to establish a mental connection solely between the two Time Lords involved, they should start now. They could always hear the faint buzz of their people's collective minds in their own, but this bond was meant to be only between two Time Lords.

It had taken quite a lot of doing before she'd agreed to start the process. She…she wasn't exactly comfortable with giving him a direct connection to her thoughts, more so because that would also mean he'd be able to see her memories or dreams (nightmares) in the process. She'd expressed that fear to him. He'd always been trying to get her to open up about her home life before the Academy, she'd been reluctant. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she did, more than anyone she'd ever known, she trusted him with her life. But she didn't want to relive that, she didn't want to talk about it, to think on it. She didn't even want to dream of it but she did.

And right when she'd been on the verge of refusing to start working on their mental bond, he did what he always did. He was his amazing self. He told her that he wasn't trying to mentally connect to her because he was pushing to see her memories or get her to talk about it, but that he wanted to be a part of her, to be there for her when he physically couldn't. They'd be able to talk to each other across the Academy, the few times they weren't together as it was. He wanted to be able to talk to her even when they were in a large group, just them, sharing a silent conversation that others couldn't hear. Create more private moments between them. He'd even promised not to push, to not go looking for her memories, if it would make her feel better.

She'd caved, completely. She'd even found herself promising that, should a memory or nightmare reach him that she wasn't in control of, or that he just happened to see, THEN she would talk to him about it. Because he would have seen it for himself, and she wouldn't need to describe it in detail. In fact…it was almost a relief now that they had started to work on the mental bond. It was…easier…for him to see the memories or experience the nightmares with her and, she supposed, it was better for her to talk to him about them after they'd happened. If she were being completely honest, she was considering letting more memories slip through purposefully. The more she shared with him, the safer she felt.

He never judged her, not once. He…he would actually just hold her if it was a terrible memory. He'd joke with her till she felt better. He'd even manage to put a positive spin on one or two of the things he'd seen her father do to her. He'd claim that she was a stronger, kinder, more understanding soul now because of what she'd endured. He'd told her that he'd never met anyone as strong as she was, to have gone through that hurt and still be able to smile. And then he'd told her he loved her smile, flushing pink as he did so.

The only downside to the mental bond was that it would take quite a while for it to solidify, for them to have control over it. Right now, they were still working on just controlling the volume of their mental voice. She'd been in the middle of sleeping when he'd shouted at her, what in the world he was doing awake as such a late hour she didn't know.

'_What's going on?_' she decided to ask, answer that question first.

'_Open your door!_' he shouted again.

She winced, rubbing the side of her head as she got out of her bed, heading for the door to her room, '_Why?_'

'_No time!_' he called back, '_Kata just open the door!_'

There was a slight urgency in his voice that caused her stomach to squirm as she stepped into the dorm room, heading for the main door, '_Didn't you finish that sonic thing you were talking about?_'

'_My hands are a little full…_'

She frowned and opened the door, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open at the sight before her.

There was Theta, standing there with his arms around the neck of a creature that looked like a giant lizard the size of a large dog, with thick plates of scales on its back, legs, and head. It was a maroon color, the plates a deep red, its eyes amber. It was breathing hard, small wisps of smoke escaping from its nostrils with every pant. It was a magmazard, an adult magmazard, and there was Theta struggling to either keep it calm or keep it back, or both.

"What did you _do_?" she hissed at him quietly, completely startled. Whatever she'd been expecting to see…it had not been that.

He just grinned widely at her, "Look what I found!"

She shook her head, before looking down the halls quickly and stepping to the side, letting him enter, the magmazard half pulling him in. She shut the door and put a finger to her lips, leading him to her room. It wouldn't do for her roommates to wake up and step outside only to see, not only a boy in their dorm at night, but a highly volatile animal.

She quickly shut her door behind her as they entered the room and she leaned against it, watching, slightly amused, as Theta led the magmazard over to her bed and got it on, letting it curl up in a ball.

He sat down on the edge of the bed but the magmazard hissed at him and he hopped off, moving to sit at her desk chair, "What do you think?" he beamed at her.

"I think you're mad as a box of frogs," she deadpanned, he rolled his eyes at her, "Where did you even _find_ a magmazard?" she shook her head, "They aren't indigenous to this region…"

"You remember that lesson I told you about," he began.

She nodded, he'd told her just that morning about a lesson one of his classes had done. They'd gone to the labs neighboring the Academy, a more high-tech facility mostly for the Academics to use if they had a more difficult subject to research. But sometimes the more basic lessons could go there for a trip. He'd been telling her how the scientists there had been researching the magmazards, to see how they were able to create fire internally and breathe it, whether that could be manipulated into other forms of energy like lightning or to the opposite spectrum of ice. He'd been furious that they were experimenting on the poor creature and ranting about how it wasn't fair and that no one should be held captive not even a…

"Don't tell me you broke into the labs and set that magmazard free Theta!" her eyes widened.

"Ok."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did you?"

He grinned cheekily at her, "You told me not to tell you."

"Theta!"

He sighed, "Alright, alright, no," he said, "I did not break into the labs and set the magmazard free."

"Theta…" she crossed her arms, she could always read him.

"I didn't!" he promised, crossing both his hearts, "I just…may or may not have been...testing...my sonic screwdriver out...on certain locks in the facility…"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "You decided to test your sonic on the locks of the labs?"

He nodded, "It needs a bit more work though, I was going more for a sonic, you know using sound waves to get things done…I think I crossed a few wires wrong, it's a laser screwdriver now…"

"A laser…"

"And, in testing it out, it may or may not have melted a lock on the magmazard's cage…"

"Melted…"

"So you see I didn't exactly _free_ the magmazard," he grinned again, "I was simply testing an invention and it made it possible for the magmazard to _escape_…and then I brought it here!"

She looked at him a moment, shaking her head as a small smile made its way onto her face, that was _so_ like him to 'accidently' do something to get him into trouble. And now that the magmazard was in her room, on her bed, she supposed she was in trouble as well.

She sighed, "So what do we do with it now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he smirked, "We need to find its home and return it."

Her eyes widened, "Theta, magmazards live halfway across the continent!"

"And?"

She blinked, was he really missing the point?

"We'd need transport."

"There's plenty of shuttles…"

"It's the dead of night."

"We don't need a pilot Kata."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm only 54," she reminded him, "You're 56! We haven't even stepped foot in a TARDIS yet and you want to steal a shuttle and try to fly it to the canyons?"

"Why not?" he got up and walked over to her, "There's a first time for everything!"

"Yeah, there's a first time to get expelled too…and, what do you know, it's also the last time!"

"Come on Kata," he took her hands, squeezing them, "It'll be fun! And you're always saying we should get a head start on preparing for exams and stuff. Think of this as preparation for shuttle exams!"

She blinked, "Theta we'll only be expected to learn how to pilot a _TARDIS_ not a _shuttle_."

"Can't hurt to know both can it?" he winked. He knew he'd won, he knew she loved learning new things, and learning to pilot a shuttle with him would be just the ticket to get her onboard.

She sighed, "Fine. You and I will sneak a fully grown magmazard through the halls of our school that doesn't allow pets bigger than a shoe to steal a shuttle which we don't know a thing about to fly it to the canyons, track its family, and get it home."

"Brilliant!"

"There's just one problem."

"What?"

She nodded at her bed, "It's fallen asleep…"

He blinked and looked over, "Ah…"

~8~

Theta had to have had the best luck in the world.

Somehow, they'd managed to coax the magmazard awake, without it trying to kill them, and lead it from her bedroom, down the halls, to the docking port of the school without being noticed. It was where the shuttles that typically went to collect the children when they turned eight were kept. There quite a few large ones, and some smaller ones.

Surprisingly, the shuttles were unlocked.

She supposed it had to do with the fact that no one in their right mind would suspect that the students would try to steal one, especially when doing such would be grounds for expulsion.

She really did not know how Theta kept talking her into adventures like this.

She was currently sitting in the pilot's chair with Theta in the co-pilot chair, both of them staring down at the controls, lost. The magmazard was behind them, curled up, gnawing on something to occupy it while they worked.

"I have no idea what any of these do," she admitted, frowning at the controls.

He bit his lip a moment, "Well…we know that the uh, laser screwdriver, won't help start this…"

She laughed and looked at him, "There's got to be some sort of instruction manual around…" she stood up and started looking in the small storage areas above them, and then knelt down to look in the compartments below the console.

"Um…there is," he murmured.

She paused, hearing something in his voice, as she slowly looked over at him, "Theta…what did you do with it?"

He gave her a sheepish grin and just nodded to the side.

She looked over to see that the magmazard was, in fact, gnawing at a rather thick book. She hung her head, her hand resting on her forehead as she shook it, leave it to Theta to use the one thing they actually needed to get going as a chew toy for a deadly creature.

"What is it with you and manuals?" she asked him, moving to take her seat again, "You _never_ read the instructions for anything."

"Oi!" he mock glared, "I do so."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He pouted, "Fine, YOU read the instructions. But Kata, you make more sense. When you explain it, I get it, if I just read it…" he shook his head, hoping she would buy that excuse. It really had nothing to do with understanding the written words so much as seeing that she put so much effort into making sure he understood. It…it made him feel warm that she cared enough to try and help him grip things and learn.

"Well I can't exactly do that now can I?" she asked, jerking a thumb back at the magmazard, "I haven't gotten a chance to read them yet."

He slowly started grinning, "Then I guess we'll just have to make it up as we go, won't we?"

"The only plan you ever actually have eh?" she laughed.

He beamed, "Oh yes!" and hit a button, which actually did manage to start the shuttle.

She took a breath, grabbing onto her control wheel, "Here we go."

He laughed as the shuttle started to lift and they whizzed off, rather shakily, into the night's sky.

~8~

She had blocked it out.

She stood outside the shuttle, leaning against it, gasping for air as she looked at the base of the canyon. They'd landed. She had no idea how. It was all a jumbled mess of shouting, shaking, and the shuttle skidding as it touched the ground. Truthfully…she had the idea they were lucky to be alive. But there was Theta laughing hysterically beside her, overjoyed that their mission had been a success…and that they were alive.

As soon as they were down, the emergency programs had kicked in, the doors opened and the magmazard ran out. They were watching as it sniffed around the base of the canyon, searching for its family, while they stood there.

"Come on Kata!" he shouted, rushing forward after the magmazard as it caught a scent and ran off.

She sighed, shaking her head, "Give me a moment," she called, ushering him on. She needed to stop shaking and feel like her limbs weren't made of lead first.

He grinned and ran off, disappearing down the canyon only a short while before she'd regained her breath. She pushed off the shuttle and made her way in the direction he'd gone. She'd made it quite a few feet before she saw that the canyon curved around a bend when…

"Kata!" she heard him call, his voice muffled.

She gasped and ran around the bend…stopping short at what was waiting for her.

There was Theta, stuck to the side of the canyon, a swarm of at least ten magmazards around him, each blowing a soft sort of smoke at him that she realized was actually creating a sort of webbing. He was trapped in a slowly growing cocoon that the magmazards were building around him.

"A little help?" he asked as the cocoon started to make its way around his head.

She sighed and stepped over, carefully treading through the magmazards and over to him. She pulled out his laser screwdriver and began to flash it against the webbing, careful of his limbs. He'd tried to use it on the controls before they'd landed, apparently the computer was trying to warn them they were getting too close to the canyon and, since that had been where they were trying to land, he'd wanted to shut it off. He'd only succeeded in burning a mess of wires before he remembered it was a _laser_ and not a _sonic_ screwdriver and she'd taken it from him.

"Honestly Theta," she murmured, freeing his face, "How do you manage to get into so much trouble? I only left you for a minute or two."

"No idea Kata," he gave her a wide grin, "Guess that means you should never leave me eh?"

She laughed, freeing the rest of him, trying not to think too much on his words. She knew she had quite the crush on him, she had ever since she'd met him. But she doubted he felt the same, despite his promise to Bond to her one day. No, she was almost certain that he'd find another girl, someone who wasn't as…broken…as she was, and…he'd be happy with her. That girl would be someone he deserved and she would do her best to accept it when the time came.

"We should probably get back to the shuttle…" he remarked, shifting a bit, his eyes over her shoulder.

She looked back to see more magmazards creeping out of the tunnel entrances, "Probably," she agreed, taking his hand as they quickly made their way back to the broken shuttle.

They stood there, eyeing the craft a moment, trying to think of how to make it back to school without anyone finding out what happened…which would be difficult as a shuttle, two infamous students, and a magmazard would be missing when the teachers woke. They couldn't take the shuttle back now either, it was a complete write-off, barely survived the crash landing. If they didn't make it back, they'd be discovered, expelled, and their parents would ground them for life...if they let them live at all...

"Well…" he began, rubbing the back of his head, "Um…"

He was lost. He hadn't quite thought this through nor this far ahead.

But luckily, someone else could think just that bit faster than him.

"Grab on," she held out her arm.

He looked over to see her wearing a small teleporter on her wrist. His eyes widened, "How did you…"

"My last class," she shrugged, "Was to teach us how to make a teleporter," she held her arm up more till he took it, "I didn't get to test it yet, we're supposed to in class, but it should work."

It was only good for one trip, she'd been saving it for wherever they ended up in case they needed an emergency teleport out of the shuttle or wherever they landed. She'd probably get marked down for the teleport not working in class as the trip would have been used up, but it would be worth it to not get expelled.

"Why did you bring…"

"I know you, and I know what tends to happen during your 'adventures.'"

"Oh?" he grinned, "And what's that?"

She gestured to the broken down shuttle before them, "A mess, a rather large one, that you didn't think about."

He rolled his eyes but grinned as she hit the teleporter and they appeared back in her room at the Academy, an hour before anyone else would wake up and no one but them would be any wiser about the adventure that had just taken place.

A/N: Oh Professor, always getting him out of trouble I see :) It seems his dislike of manuals began long before the TARDIS eh? Lol.

I've gotten a few more requests for off-screen/past adventures, just drop a review if you've got one of your own and if it's not one that I'm already planning as a flashback for the Academic Series I'll try writing it :)

Next Chapter: Four Things and a Lizard


	9. Four Things and a Lizard

Four Things and a Lizard (10/9)

The Doctor, Martha, and the Professor climbed out of a cab, running off down the road towards where they'd found a nest of a particularly dangerous lizard species.

"Doctor!" someone shouted, "Professor! Martha!"

They looked back to see a young woman with blonde hair step out of a nearby shop, a purple folder in her hands.

"Hello!" the Doctor grinned, "Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it."

"My God, it's you, it really is you. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

"We don't have time for this!" Martha called from a bit down the street.

"She's right, the migration's started," the Professor told him.

"Look, sorry," he turned back to the girl, "We've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings, I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own," he winked at the Professor who just rolled her eyes at him, he was still pushing for that wedding but she wanted to be up to 100 percent first and, if she had to admit, she was very close to that.

"Oh, my God!" the girl gasped, "Of course, you're a time traveler. It hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still in your future!"

"What hasn't happened?" the Professor frowned, curious as to how the girl knew who they were and that they were time travelers.

"Guys!" Martha called, "Twenty minutes to red hatching!"

"It was me," the girl realized, "Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me!"

"Got what?" the Professor asked.

"Ok. Listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it," she handed them her folder.

"Professor!" Martha shouted, "Doctor! Come on!"

"Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash..." the Doctor said apologetically, "Things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

"Okay," she nodded, "No worries, on you go. See you around, some day."

"What was your name?"

"Sally Sparrow."

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow."

Just then another man with brown hair walked over, stopping, stunned at the sight of them. Sally grinned and went to his side, taking the man's hand, "Goodbye Doctor, Professor, Martha."

She turned and walked back into the shop with the man, leaving them to their thoughts.

"Guys!" Martha shouted.

They quickly turned and ran after her down the street.

"What do you mean four things and a lizard?" the Professor asked as they followed Martha, who knew the area better than them, "There's just the…well, lizards."

"Yep," he nodded, grinning, "But there's the lizard mother, the eggs, the hatching, the migration, and let's not forget the starship hovering above the Earth ready to take over once the lizards destroy all," he nudged her, "See, four things AND a lizard."

She smiled, shaking her head at him.

~8~

The warehouse that the TARDIS had located the lizard in was rather large, very old, and quite abandoned. It made sense why no one had noticed anything strange within. That part of the town was very deserted, a few more abandoned buildings around it, some minor construction vehicles at the end of the road.

They snuck up to one of the doors to the warehouse, the Doctor putting a finger to his lips to quiet them as he and the Professor put their ears to the door, listening. They could hear quite a lot of hissing and cracking from within. It seemed they were right on time to stop the hatching.

The Professor stepped back and nodded at the Doctor who whipped out the sonic and flashed it at the door, unlocking it. He threw the door open and they all ran in, stopping short at the sight before them.

The lizard mother was enormous. Nearly the size of a lion. It was a neon green color with bright orange spots, red eyes, and very sharp talons. It was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by eggs, they were everywhere, all over the floor of the warehouse, and some of them had started hatching.

This was actually worse than they were hoping for. While the eggs were precious to the lizard mother, and she would defend them valiantly, once the babies actually hatched, she would be vicious. She'd defend them to the death…and they'd just stumbled into her nest, with weapons.

"Oh…" the Doctor muttered, his eyes wide as the lizard mother turned to them, hissing and letting out a feral screech.

"Martha!" the Professor turned to the girl who had the arrows to the Doctor's bow strung across her back, "Give us the arrows and get that fire extinguisher," she pointed a few feet away to a small box attached to the wall.

"Right…" Martha nodded, pulling the arrows off her back and tossing them into the Doctor's arms as he handed the Professor the bow. She turned, about to rush off, when she turned back, "Wait, why do I need a fire extinguisher?"

The Professor glanced at the mother lizard now trying to make her way to them without stepping on her eggs, gently pushing them to the side with her tail, and turned to the Doctor taking a handful of arrows out of the pack, slinging off a small messenger bag from her shoulder and kneeling down.

"The lizards are reptiles," the Doctor explained quickly, watching as the Professor pulled out a small vial of a special solution out of the pack, dipping the arrow heads in it. The solution had to be fresh to be absorbed into the blood stream of the lizards, "Reptiles are cold blooded. The cold slows them down. The fire extinguisher will cool them down to the point where they'll fall into a temporary hibernation. It'll also keep the rest of the eggs from hatching."

"Gotcha," Martha turned and ran for the extinguisher.

"You ready for this?" the Doctor looked at the Professor as she stood up and prepared an arrow on the bow.

"I suppose I'll have to be eh?" she gave him a small smile.

He nodded, stepping back so she could move before him, getting a clear line of fire at the mother lizard. The babies wouldn't be too hard to control, what with use of the extinguisher to slow them, but the mother lizard had to be neutralized quickly. The arrows were soaked in a solution that would act as a tranquilizer, the extinguisher would be useless against such a large creature. Luckily, it would only take a small amount of the solution to knock the mother lizard out, the only difficult part was getting the solution into the blood stream. They wouldn't be able to get close enough nor would they likely be able to pierce the thick scales of the lizard, hence the arrows.

The Professor just had to get one good shot in, find the chink in the chain so to speak, the divide of the armor-like scales, and their troubles would be that much closer to over.

"You can do it," the Doctor said softly from behind her, kneeling down to prepare more arrows should she need any, "You always were a better shot than me."

"Thanks," she murmured, taking a breath and letting an arrow fly.

It stuck the lizard mother in the tail, bouncing off a scale, the lizard having twisted, seeing the weapon aimed at her. The Professor quickly readied another arrow as the lizard mother screeched and let it fly.

But the lizard mother pushed herself to her hind legs, roaring, unfortunately the underbelly of the creature being twice as thick as the scales on the back, a natural defense against the dangers of the world to her children. It was harmless.

"Martha wait!" the Doctor suddenly shouted.

The Professor looked over to see Martha at the edge of the nest, blasting the eggs that had just started to hatch with the extinguisher.

The lizard mother fumed, turning sharply and heading for Martha.

But luckily, by turning, the lizard mother also exposed herself. The area behind the shoulder blades was far less protected. The Professor quickly readied another arrow and sent it flying, lodging right behind the shoulders of the creature.

The lizard mother hissed, throwing its head back as it was struck, turning towards the Time Lords as though about to attack, before taking a shaky step, and slumping forward, the fast acting solution already flowing through it.

The Professor let out a breath of relief that Martha was safe, only to be pulled into the Doctor's arms a moment later. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and spun her around with a cheer, placing her back on the floor before spinning her around and kissing her with a wide grin on his face.

"Brilliant!" he kissed her again, "You were brilliant!"

She laughed, blushing a bit, both from the excitement and his words, "We should go help Martha," she reminded him.

"Right!" he nodded, taking her hand as they moved to help gather the eggs and move the slumbering bodies of the lizard babies she's sprayed with the icy blasts together, trying to get them all in one area of the room, around the lizard mother, it would make for an easier teleport to the lovely, uninhabited, jungle planet they'd found as a home for the lizards.

~8~

Martha blinked, a few times really, before she realized she'd just been teleported. She looked to her right, seeing the Professor and the Doctor beside her, the Doctor with his sonic out, having been the one to activate the teleport to the spaceship looming over the Earth. She looked in front of her to see a swarm of lizards, just as big, if not bigger, than the mother lizard they'd just fought. She chuckled nervously, seeing the lizards turning and hissing at them.

The Doctor let out a little tense laugh, understanding their language, their threats and rage, and nudged the Professor forward.

"What are you doing?" she whispered back at him.

"YOU were the one in Intergalactic Relations," he reminded her, "Negotiate."

She shook her head and took another step before the lizards, in front of the two of them, and took a breath, "According to Article 57 of the Shadow Proclamation, Earth is a fully established, Level 5 planet. That makes it automatically under protection against alien threats. Anything from seeding to burning the planet by anything other than the human race is a galactic offense," the lizards hissed, "There are two options here!" she shouted above the din of hissing and roaring as the lizards grew more agitated, "The first is that we report this little indiscretion to the Shadow Proclamation and let the Judoon handle it…" the hissing grew quieter, "I'll admit, I am none too keen to try that option," she had to admit to that, she was still under probation, "The second option is that you leave, quietly, and live out the rest of your lives on the planet of our choice with the rest of your species…" the hissing started again, "We've already transported your only remaining lizard mother there, along with her brood, and we will be happy to program this ship to take you to her. This can all go away," she eyed the lizards as they seemed to calm down, "Do we have an agreement?"

Martha watched in awe as the lizards each bowed their heads as though they could understand the Professor. The Doctor stepped to the woman's side, flashing his sonic against a small control panel and the ship started to hum.

He looked at the Professor who nodded and he took her hand, stepping back to Martha, who linked her arm through the Professor's. He flicked the sonic on once more and they disappeared, appearing back in the TARDIS.

The Time Lords walked over to the monitor, watching as the ships they'd been tracking turned and moved away from the Earth before shooting off into space. They let out a breath of relief.

"Well that was easy," Martha remarked, thinking to how they'd managed to avoid the migration by halting the hatching and transporting the eggs, the invasion was surprisingly easy.

"Not really," the Professor let out an almost disbelieving breath and fell back into the Doctor's arms as he wrapped them around her. She'd actually been certain that at some point the lizards on the ship would attack them, so she'd tried to get in the main points and threats as quickly as she could, asserting her authority right from the start was something good negotiations relied on.

"What do you mean?" Martha frowned, everything had worked out perfectly, gone right to plan for once.

"Those lizards," the Doctor shook his head, rocking side to side softly, soothing the last of the Professor's nerves, "One of the most dangerous, if nearly extinct, species in the Universe," he told her, "Carnivores, aggressive, willing to convert any world to suit their own needs by destroying everything about it and transforming by repopulation of the species," he let out a little whistle, "Surprising we came out alive, especially after facing a lizard mother, in her nest, and the alpha males, forced together on that ship…"

Martha's eyes widened, "And you just let me walk into that?" she exclaimed, a bit startled that they had survived if the Doctor was to be believed. She hadn't thought it was quite THAT bad of a situation, but now, thinking back on it, those lizards were ferocious.

The Professor rolled her eyes and nudged the Doctor in the stomach, stepping out of his hold to go give Martha comforting hug, "I would never let anything happen to you Martha," she told the girl softly, squeezing her when she felt Martha return the hug, "You're my best friend, I'd do anything to protect you."

Martha smiled, letting out a little laugh, she knew it too. And the Professor had. She'd looked out the layout of the warehouse, seeing if there were any extra rooms that the lizards could be hiding in, determined the species, created the solution to knock them out as well as picking out the weapon that would harm them the least but still be effective, all the while making sure that Martha herself was never in the direct line of fire of the lizard. The woman had had it all planned out from the start, not something that could always be said for the Doctor, who seemed to just make it up as he went along.

"I know," Martha whispered, squeezing the Professor once more before letting go, "The feeling's mutual by the way."

The Professor smiled at that, before taking Martha's hands and squeezing, "How about you go pop on the kettle eh?" she asked, "I think we could all use a calming cup of tea right about now."

Martha nodded, heading towards the steps of the gantry, not noticing the Doctor pulling the purple folder out of his pocket behind her.

~8~

Martha walked into the control room to see the Doctor and Professor leaning over the console, examining papers that were placed all across it. Some were handwritten, others were typed, there were pictures as well.

"What's all this?" she asked, walking over to them and looking down at a picture of a wall with big, black letters on it reading 'Beware the Weeping Angel. Oh and duck! Really duck! Sally Sparrow duck now! Love from the Doctor, Professor, and Martha (1969).' She frowned, "When did we go to 1969?" she didn't remember writing that.

"We haven't…yet," the Doctor grinned, gathering up the papers and getting to work, setting the coordinates for the house in the files, one year ago.

"What do you mean 'yet?'"

"Apparently, at some point last year," the Professor remarked, flipping absently through the papers, "We get sent back in time by a Weeping Angel to 1969, without the TARDIS, and this girl, Sally Sparrow, and her friend help us by sending the TARDIS back."

"Now, we just have to go back," the Doctor added.

"Ok…and _why_ do we have to go back?" Martha asked.

"We need to maintain the timeline," the Professor told her, putting the files in the folder and looking at Martha, "We have to stick to an established chain of events, especially when it involves our own personal timelines."

"Why?"

"Because one mistake could cause the whole timeline to collapse and then we'd end up lost in the Void, the dead space between words, Hell…forever."

"Right then," Martha nodded, alarmed, "Let's get to it!"

A/N: Sort of short, I know. But I pictured the lizards as being very agressive and dangerous for some reason, I think it was because Martha said something about a hatching. My mind immediately went to mothers protecting their young, how deadly they can be, and I couldn't really picture the Doctor needing bows and arrows to fight off little tinly lizards so they had to be huge. Martha is the Professor's best friend (well, best HUMAN friend) and I could see her as not wanting Martha to be in danger. She planned everything out, she _needed_ to plan it out, since between her and the Doctor she's more of the plan-maker, to make sure Martha would be safe which took care of quite a few 'things' in the process. I picture a plan by the Professor as making for a very short, fairly safe, nothing-goes-too-wrong, adventure, unlike if the Doctor had planned it lol.

Next chapter: Meeting Mozart


	10. Meeting Mozart

Meeting Mozart (10/9)

The TARDIS had touched down on a mystery tour, the Doctor and Professor stepping out, looking around at the late 18th century, at the people around them. The Professor had purposefully put in a mystery tour for them, knowing that it was the Doctor's favorite sort and she'd hoped to cheer him up. They'd just lost Rose you see, to a parallel world, then, before he'd even had a moment to mourn properly, a ginger woman named Donna Noble had appeared in the TARDIS in her wedding dress. They had to help her, ending up facing a should-have-been extinct alien in the process, the Empress of the Racnoss. In the end they'd saved Donna, stopped the Racnoss, and drained the Thames. An average day in the office so to speak.

But the Professor knew just what the Doctor needed to get his mind off the loss of Rose, an adventure, a mystery, and, if the fact that he'd initiated a Bonding between them was anything to go on, her. It made sense though, she could always read him like a book, knowing _exactly_ what he needed before he even did. She knew whatever adventure they would go on next would have to be somewhere different than modern Earth, where he'd be less likely to find remnants of Rose hanging around. So she'd set the TARDIS to random, the box landing them on what appeared to be Earth, but in the late 1700s and most certainly not London. No, it appeared to be somewhere else in Europe, but she refused to pinpoint exactly where, she wanted this to be a surprise as well, she hadn't even looked up the layout of the city on the console!

The Doctor smiled and took her hand, the two of them heading off into the crowd, quite a few people turning to look at the oddly dressed couple, the tall, thin man in the brown suit and jacket, walking with the pale, brown-haired girl in the gray cardigan. But they gave these people no mind, just wandering aimlessly to see where they might end up, what would be around the corner when…they approached an actual corner and heard a faint melody playing. The Doctor laughed a bit and hurried off, knowing that, as much as this was a trip to help _him_, this could also be one for the _Professor_ as well. She was still a bit hesitant on trips, not completely over her fears and anxieties, but_ music_…that was her most favorite thing in the world.

'_Not exactly,_' he heard her in his mind.

He paused and looked at her, frowning a bit, '_You LOVE music!_'

She smiled lightly, leaning in to kiss him quickly, '_I love YOU more._'

He beamed, kissing her again, before pulling her on. They drew near a crowd that had gathered, actually unable to push their way through it was packed so closely together. They looked around when the Professor tugged the Doctor over to a small fountain with a ledge around it. He grinned and they climbed onto the ledge, able to see just over the crowd. There was a man in a powdered wig playing the violin. From what she could see of his body language, it was mostly for the crowds' amusement, while also to show off a little.

The man finished his song with a flourish, grinning as the crowd cheered loudly, bowing extravagantly, his modesty seeming to be nowhere in sight.

The Doctor scoffed, earning a questioning look from the Professor, "You could show him up any day," he remarked.

She paused, considering his words, she was rarely ever arrogant, usually claiming she could 'think faster than him' in a joking manner, never proud of her newfound militaristic abilities, but…music…that was one area where she was actually confident, where she _felt_ confident. It was, quite probably, the only area where she enjoyed being the best.

"I _could_," she admitted, before laughing, "But I don't have a human vio…" he pulled something out of his pocket, "…lin. Do I_ want _to know why you have a violin in your pocket?"

He laughed, "I wouldn't be able to tell you how it got there anyway."

She shook her head at him, taking the violin when he offered it to her and glanced back at the man, still egging the crowd on for more cheers. She lifted the violin and rested it on her shoulder and chin, beginning to play a tune that sounded something like 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Mozart, though with quite a few differences. It was an original creation of hers back on Gallifrey, when the Doctor had heard it he'd told her that it sounded a lot like Mozart's music and given her the man's entire collection for Christmas once. Listening to it, she could hear similarities between his music and hers…a surprising amount actually. It had made her curious because many of her songs had been written _before_ she'd ever heard a note of his.

The crowd turned suddenly at this new song being played, one they hadn't heard before, and began to swarm around the girl by the fountain, playing expertly. The man in the powdered wig's eyes widened as he listened to the music as well, it was _beautiful_! He'd never heard anything like it before, he'd found himself moving with the crowd to get closer, unable to muster even annoyance at his thunder being stolen due to the beautiful melody wafting over.

As the song drew to a close, the Professor beamed, hearing the crowd applaud her. She smile modestly and nodded her head, laughing when the Doctor pulled her into a tight hug, praising her music as well.

"That was astounding!" the man in the wig called as he pushed his way through the crowd, "Truly Madame, you have a gift for the violin."

"Violin, flute, harp, clarinet, piano…" the Doctor began to list the human instruments she could play till the Professor elbowed him in the ribs.

"Piano you say?" the man smiled, "I am quite the expert myself I'm told. Perhaps we can play together one day?"

The Professor blinked at the offer and nodded, "Thank you sir."

His eyes widened as he shook his head, "How rude of me," he stepped forward as they hopped off the fountain, bowing his head, "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart," he straightened.

"Mozart?" the Professor's eyes widened, what were the odds they'd run into him? She had _always_ wanted to meet him! It had been one of the plans she and the Doctor had made as children, when they'd imagined where they'd go and who they'd meet after they graduated and went to explore the Universe. She'd picked Mozart, he'd picked Beethoven, "THE Mozart?"

He laughed, "That I am Madame…"

"Stewart," the Doctor called, seeing the Professor was actually too stunned to speak, "Katherine Stewart, my fiancé," he grinned, nudging the Professor out of her shock.

"You are a lucky man," Mozart told him, "To have someone so skilled in music."

"More than you know," the Doctor said softly, both about the music and his luck.

"Now," Mozart turned to the Professor, "When would you be free to compose?"

She blinked, "I…um…I…"

The Doctor laughed quietly to himself, oh he'd never let her forget this, "Right now if you'd like," he offered, "We were just taking in the sights, but I'm sure Katherine here would love the chance to compose some songs with you."

"Truly?" Mozart looked at her, hopeful. It wasn't often he met someone as skilled as he was.

"It would be an honor," she nodded.

He grinned, "If you shall come with me, my home is just this way," he gestured back. They nodded and followed him off.

~8~

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Mozart opened his arms wide as they stepped into his home, a rather lavish room, filled with fine furniture, china, and instruments of all kinds, "It's not much…"

The Professor smiled when the Doctor scoffed at that, they'd learned on the way over that Mozart _tried_ to be humble…just never quite managed it. There was always a hint of pride in his words, like he knew he was saying what he did_ only_ to try and _appear_ modest. She couldn't help but let her eyes drift over to a beautiful grand piano set up by the windows.

"Now," Mozart called, seeing where her gaze had gone, "Your fiancé mentioned you were quite the pianist?"

The Doctor beamed, "She'll blow you away," he nudged her forward, "Show him what you've got," he whispered in her ear.

She turned to kiss his cheek and stepped over to the piano, getting herself situated and comfortable before resting her hands over the keys. She smiled, beginning to play a tune the Doctor recognized as the one he'd heard when he was only 100, when he'd first heard her playing, a tune something like the 'Turkish March' Mozart was so famous for, 'Rondo Alla Turca.'

The Doctor couldn't help but smile softly at the emotions this song evoked, what hearing her play the first time had made him realize about his feelings for her.

Mozart, on the other hand, clapped loudly as she finished, "That was superb!" he beamed, "I cannot wait to begin!"

The Doctor laughed as Mozart plopped down beside the Professor, scores of blank sheet music in his hands, startling the girl, "I'll leave you two geniuses to play," he called, heading for the door, he wanted to see the rest of the city, but he couldn't bear to pull the Professor away from Mozart, it had been one of the adventures she'd _dreamed_ of going on as a child. She had given him so much by planning this mystery tour, he could give her this.

He turned at the door, winking back at her, before shutting it. He promised himself he'd be fine, he was ONLY going to walk around the city, no sonicing, no dangerous situations, no alien attacks. He_ really_ didn't want to disrupt the Professor's session with Mozart by having an alien invasion on the horizon that he'd stumbled upon by accident.

And he knew, she'd be safe here if he did.

~8~

The Doctor was frowning as he made his way back to Mozart's home. No, he wasn't frowning because, for once, he actually _hadn't _stumbled upon something dangerous, but because, as the day wore on, the feelings he was getting from the Professor had gotten increasingly negative. He knew she was ok, that Mozart hadn't tried anything on her that made her uncomfortable, but she was slowly becoming more annoyed, frustrated, and short-tempered…not a good combination in his Bonded at all.

He jogged up the steps to the music room that Mozart had led them to and raised a hand to knock on the door, when it opened and a VERY tense Professor stepped out, her mouth in a line, her jaw tense, her hands clenched into fists, glaring at nothing in particular.

"Um…everything alright?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do you remember when we were helping Tommy's Gran," she replied, confusing him as he nodded, "And Bishop's men attacked you, and my training came out?" he nodded again, "If you don't get me away from _him_," she jerked her head at the door where he could see Mozart scribbling on his music sheets with a large grin on his face, "I will LET my training out and KILL him."

His eyes widened and he quickly pulled her back down the stairs, out the house, and towards the TARDIS, hugging her tightly once they were safely inside, "What happened Kata?" he asked her, whispering in her ear as he rubbed circles on her back, trying to soothe her.

She sighed, resting her head on his chest, hugging him back, "He's SO irritating!" she complained, making him laugh, he'd thought something terrible had happened, "It's not funny Theta!" she whacked him softly on the chest, "He kept asking me to play different songs of mine…"

"And that's _bad_?" he asked carefully.

"He wouldn't play _with_ me," she sighed, "We didn't compose _anything_ together. He kept asking these terribly personal questions about my inspiration and creative process. And he kept LAUGHING! His laugh was driving me _insane_! It's like a cross between a cackle and a hyena giggling! And near the end, he kept swatting at my hands, telling me I was playing it wrong. He told ME I was playing MY songs wrong!" he started laughing but quickly made a serious face as she looked up at him, "Every time he asked a question or wanted to point something out to me he _literally_ pointed the end of his quill in my face! He kept poking my hands with the tip of the quill, I've got ink all over me! And that was _after_ he'd pick at his teeth with the quill while thinking of questions he wanted to ask me. When I tried to ask him a question he'd just laugh that mad giggle and shove me in the shoulder. He even took his wig off once and asked me if I'd mind holding it for him a moment because his _lice_ was acting up! I have NEVER been more disgusted and irritated _in_ _my life_! My God Theta, my training did_ not_ prepare me for _that_!"

This time he _did_ laugh. It was because she was trying_ not_ to tap into her training at all in this body of hers. If she had, she would have had no problems ignoring Mozart's quirks.

"Calm down Kata," he whispered to her, pulling her closer and starting to sway, humming a slow version of the 'Turkish March-like' song she'd been playing, knowing it would bring her back to the memory of when he'd learned she could play even if she didn't know what else he'd learned in that moment. He smiled, feeling her start to relax and dance with him, calming down.

~8~

They had decided to remain in that same time period, till the next day. The Doctor hadn't wanted to leave before the Professor had had a chance to calm down and speak with Mozart once more, actually find out the answers to questions she had about him instead of answering his. They'd stepped out of the TARDIS the next morning to see the town abuzz with excitement, apparently Mozart was giving a concert in just a few short hours, showing off some new pieces that had come to him. The townspeople couldn't wait.

The Professor frowned and walked over to one of the postings about the event, looking at the list of new songs that had been scheduled to play. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that he was calling two of his pieces 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' and 'Rondo Alla Turca' because she _knew _those two pieces, how they were played, and _exactly _what other songs they sounded like. Hers.

"I'm going to _kill_ him," she muttered before turning to storm down the street.

The Doctor frowned, confused, before he too caught sight of the songs, all of which were ones similar to the ones the Professor had told him she'd played just the other day.

"Professor!" he ran after her, "Professor!"

~8~

The Professor was FUMING as the Doctor followed her into the TARDIS later that day, laughing silently behind her. Oh what a day that had been. They'd gone to the concert, heard Mozart's 'new' pieces, only for them all to have been 'inspired' by the Professor's own songs. She'd been beyond angry at the man claiming the songs as his own and confronted him about it. He'd just laughed her off, saying the songs were nothing alike. She'd pointed out that they were_ exactly_ the same, the only difference being he'd sped up some slow parts, slowed some faster parts, and put one or two movements in a different key. But they were the _exact_ same songs. He'd just told her to lighten up and explained that at least now something of her songs would be recognized, as _his_ work, and then gone on to offer her some brandy.

She'd kicked him in the shin, dumped the offered alcohol on his head, and stormed off shouting that she preferred the work of Salieri over that of a drunkard! She hadn't stopped grumbling the entire way, much to the Doctor's amusement. It wasn't often that the Professor got angry. She always tried to keep calm, claiming 'anger is always the shortest distance to a mistake.' But tampering with her music…that was something she refused to stand for.

"Let's go to Kalmix IV," she spun to him suddenly.

He stopped short, startled at the sudden move, "Why do you want to go there?" it was a museum dedicated to classical music.

She glared, turning to the console and flicking some knobs, "I want to see just how many of his compositions are mine!"

He sighed, but was unable to come up with an argument against it. Her actually wanting to go on an adventure again was _amazing_, he wouldn't deny her this. Even if he knew she would just be angrier when the proof was in front of her. Oh well, at least he'd be able to keep her away from Mozart if they left now. Perhaps he should take her to Venice afterwards?

A/N: Wow, I can't believe it took so long to get this chapter posted. I'm really sorry about that. I recently got a job and I'm still trying to adapt to my work responsibilities, and balancing that with my night classes/homework/projects hasn't left me with much time. Usually just the weekends, but by then I've got homework to do. Stupid school. I actually had this ready yesterday and was going to post it, but the internet went out at my house (we just got it back now). Stupid hurricane. You can knock out anything you want, but leave my internet alone! Lol.

I will definitely try to get _at least_ two chapters up per month of this story though. IDK if this means anything to anyone, but my job (revolving around Accounting…joy…) has been scrambling to finish the Third Quarter tax returns (due Oct. 31) and the Income tax returns (due about two weeks ago) for people who took out extensions back in April. Hopefully, starting in November, things will calm down enough where I'll have a better routine set up so I can write more :)

A quick note, to anyone who is worried that I might abandon the Academic Series or the Lunar Cycle, WORRY NO LONGER! I absolutely REFUSE to abandon any story I start. I really hate it when that happens. If it comes down to it I would forgo _sleep_ and_ food_ to continue writing my stories rather than let them fall to the wayside (but hopefully that won't happen lol). There may be gaps in the stories from when I post per series, but that's _only_ because I need an episode to put the Professor (or Evy) into, and I can't do that if the episode hasn't come out yet and I don't want to write myself into a hole by posting before the series ends. For each and every series to come I _will_ post the next story immediately after the current series is done. I WILL be posting (and continue to post) the Academic Series and the Lunar Cycle in 2013 when the show's seventh series is over.

And…to make up for this chapter taking so long…WE'VE GOT LJ&RIVER! Woo! Check out my new collection The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl for their very first interaction ever! Well…River's first :)

Next chapter: The Uncommon Cold


	11. An Uncommon Cold

An Uncommon Cold (11/11)

The Doctor smiled as he half-danced around the console, pulling levers, twisting knobs, pushing buttons…when there was a strange sound behind him. It sounded like a squeak. He paused and looked over at the Professor, sitting on the jump seat, reading her favorite book by Charles Dickens, completely unphased, as though she hadn't heard the noise.

"Did you hear that?" he called to her.

She glanced up, "Hear what?"

He frowned, shaking his head. If SHE hadn't heard it...he must have imagined it. He turned back to the console, making his way around it again when, two minutes later, he heard another squeak.

"That!" he shouted, leaping to the side, "Did you hear it then?"

She simply looked at him, her eyebrow raised, "I think you're hearing things dear."

He frowned but went back to the console.

This time only a minute had gone past when the squeak sounded once more.

"There!" he turned to her, "You had to have heard it that time Kata!"

She put her book down and got up, walking over to him, leaning on the console, "What did this mysterious sound sound like?"

He sighed, "It was like a squeak," he began to describe, "Like a little...almost cooing noise, very brief, very short, very high-pitched. It almost sounded like…"

The Professor let out a tiny, squeaking sneeze.

"Yes, like that," he nodded, "Exactly like…" he trailed off, turning to face her, "Like a _sneeze_ Kata," he eyed her accusingly.

"What?" she smiled lightly.

"You were sneezing," he remarked, walking over to her and cupping her slightly warm face, "You _never_ sneeze," he smiled a bit, "And when you do it's the cutest thing."

She laughed, "Only you, Theta, could think a _sneeze_ is _cute_."

"Well, the _sneeze_ isn't," he remarked, pulling out his stethoscope and pressing it to her chest, "But your _face_ when you make it is _adorable_."

She shook her head and swatted the scope away, "I'm _fine_ love."

"You're _sick_ dear," he countered.

It was a typical cold, well, a Gallifreyan cold at least, most like an Earth cold, except it caused them to become quite a bit more congested, owing to their bypass system, and their chests would hurt a little. It was quite uncommon for her to get ill though, she'd always been a more health conscious person than he had been in school, preferring fruit to Jelly Babies, and when she _did_ get sick, she often tried to cover it up, not wanting him to worry about her…as much as she could think faster than him in most situations, she still had yet to figure out that trying to hide it from him only made him worry _more_ about her.

"I'll BE fine then," she waved off his concern, "You know me Theta, I'm never sick for long."

"But you _do_ get _ver_y sick," he sighed.

It was probably an aftereffect of when she'd contracted Chen-7, while she didn't get sick often, her antibodies still resilient to other alien diseases, their own illnesses hit her hard. She would get rather ill, never for long, as she had said, but it always concerned him.

She smiled lightly, "Well then, it's a good thing I've got a _doctor_ to get me all better then eh?"

He laughed, shaking his head, this new her was VERY different it seemed. Every other time she'd gotten ill, at least, in the bodies of hers that he'd encountered, she'd fussed about how he fussed over her. She hated it, but this one...well, this was the first time this version of her had gotten sick. They'd have to see how she'd feel after she got all better.

She sneezed again.

"Bless you," he smiled.

~8~

The Professor groaned as she lay, curled up, in their bed, mounds of blankets over her, her nose so stuffed she couldn't even sniffle to try and clear it. Her throat felt raw, her limbs felt heavy, her head felt like it was being pounded with a mallet, her stomach twisted so badly she hadn't been able to keep anything down, and it ached to move. She was so cold that she shivered yet, according to the Doctor, she had a fever.

She knew that, as bad as she felt, she _could_ push through it. Her training hadn't allowed them time when they felt ill. The High Council wanted the Academics to be able to operate no matter what happened to them, injury or illness. She could force her body to work despite the illness, but...that was the thing, she didn't _have_ to. The war was over, if she was ill she could let herself feel ill. It wasn't like she had to fight to survive, a sneeze wasn't about to alert the Daleks to her presence.

No, she didn't have to worry about herself, not now.

Because the Doctor was taking very good care of her.

Speaking of the Doctor...he was sitting on the edge of the bed, a cold cloth pressed to her forehead, dabbing her face, wiping the thin layer of sweat that had covered her. He smiled sadly, hating that he couldn't do anything more to help her. He'd given her medicine yes, medicine from home, that he'd been able to replicate much like the Pora he'd made for her, completely safe for Time Lords, not as strong or as effective, but near enough to help her recover quicker. They just had to wait for it to kick in.

He _hated_ waiting.

He hated when she was ill especially, because he truly couldn't do anything to help her. It was something her body had to do on its own and it killed him that he could only sit there and try to make her comfortable. He dabbed at her head once more as she blearily looked up at him.

"I hate being sick," she muttered, her voice horse, nasally sounding due to her stuffed nose.

As awful as it was, he couldn't help but laugh at the sound, "I know dear," he brushed a lock of damp hair from her face, "I know."

He reached out and stroked her hair, watching as she fell into a fitful sleep, before tucking the covers up higher, making sure she was snug before sighing and hunching forward, resting his head in his hands. It was lucky that she was a Time Lady, her temperature was high enough to damage the human brain. If she hadn't had the respiratory bypass system their people had she probably wouldn't have gotten enough oxygen to her body. She hadn't eaten anything in the last two days, not even able to manage a bit of toast or water. He was reaching the point, as he always did, where he started to truly worry, not that he wasn't before. But when she was smiling and laughing despite coughing, it was easier to believe she was just recovering from the illness and not heading towards it.

He felt her jerking beside him as she coughed roughly before curling up more. He grabbed the cloth and dabbed her forehead once more as she whimpered in her sleep.

~8~

"'Spirit,' said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, 'Tell me if Tiny Tim will live,''" he read, knowing she'd only managed to make it halfway through her Dickens book before the illness had zapped her strength. Even though they could read at a ridiculously fast rate, truly just able to flip through a book and have it read, there _were_ times and books that they enjoyed just reading through at leisure.

"You don't have to, you know," she rasped, squinting at him through tired eyes, "I know Dickens isn't your favorite. You prefer the wordsmith."

He smiled, seeing that her nose, though still red, had cleared just enough for her to breathe through it a little, before reaching out to stroke her cheek, "But he's_ yours_. And anything you love, can't be so bad."

She gave a weary grin, "Except a cat eh?"

He laughed, nodding, "Except a cat," he agreed. He eyed her a moment, his palm gently stroking her face, both for the contact and to check her temperature, "You're feeling a little less warm."

"Good," she yawned, "Maybe I'll manage some toast later then."

"Maybe," he nodded, leaning back to finish reading...only to look down at her moments later to see her eyes closed, her breathing even, either asleep or very nearly there. He smiled softly, "Sleep well Kata," he whispered, moving to kiss her forehead.

"Shouldn't do that," she murmured sleepily, cracking an eye open just a peek.

"Do what?"

"Kiss me..." she snuggled into the blankets, into him as well as he'd been sitting beside her, with her curled up to his side, "Don't want you to get sick too..."

"Hush dear," he whispered, kissing her forehead as she drifted off, "I'll take my chances," he smiled, stroking her hair, "Any day."

~8~

She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to kill him or kiss him. She'd recovered, her fever had broken in the middle of the night and she had been able to actually eat some toast for breakfast…well on the way to recovery in her mind. Yet the Doctor seemed to think that she was still on death's doorstep, not that she had been before, he could be so dramatic. It was endlessly sweet how he took care of her, how he sat at her bedside and read her Dickens, how he came in with a tray of food that he'd made…actually managing to use the toaster without breaking it…how he would tell her stories of his adventures or places he wanted to take her when she was well again as a way to distract her from the fatigue that still stuck with her and would for a few days more.

But…she had to admit…for all her patience as a Time Lady and her love for the Doctor, he was starting to get on her last nerve. She wanted to get up, stretch her legs, move around, do something other than lie in bed and do absolutely nothing. It was one thing to lie there, sick and just wanting sleep, but once sleep had come and gone and she'd gotten her full, the thought of it just made her jittery. And honestly, she was _his_ Bonded, they were both too keen for movement and adventure for their own good. He, of all people, should understand her need to move around.

But alas, this always happened when she was sick. He'd get so worried when she was actually sick that when she recovered his concern didn't fade. If anything, it actually got worse because he was afraid it was a momentary lapse, the eye of the storm, and that it would just get much worse. He was always wrong though. And, in being wrong, he confined her to the bed, trying to feed her more and more food to make up for the little she'd eaten before, putting mounds of blankets over her, and trying to give her more medicine. He flittered here and there, all over the place, needlessly worrying about her and fussing over her and fluffing her pillow and blow her nose for her and taking her temperature every ten minutes and trying to feel her pulse and check her throat and…he'd even tried to take her blood pressure too…what that had to do with her being sick she still didn't know.

It was all very sweet…it showed her how much he loved her…but if he didn't stop soon...

She'd kill him.

She really would.

"Theta," she called again, rolling her eyes, "I'm _fine_!"

"You said that before," he scoffed, pointing a warning finger at her, "And look how _that_ turned out."

She crossed her arms, grumbling, because he was right. She _always_ said she was fine before she got really sick. And he _always_ used that against her when she tried to tell him she felt better.

"But I really_ am_ this time," she added…before sneezing.

"Ah ha!" he pointed at her victoriously this time, smug, "There you see? Not fine."

She smiled at him, shaking her head, "Fine, not fine, but _better_. Even you have to admit that Theta," she added quickly, "You've been monitoring me since this morning, I _have_ gotten better."

He sighed, nodding, as he sat on the edge of the bed beside her, "Your fever's gone down, you've only been sneezing twice every hour or so, you managed some soup for lunch, and your strength seems to be coming back...though I still don't know why you didn't want me to get you some fruit, you love fruit, we've got some lovely apples and..."

"You know that old Earth saying," she cut in, seeing him about to ramble, knowing he was trying to hide what he was really thinking from her by doing so.

"What old saying?"

"About apples."

He frowned, before recalling it, "'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.'"

She nodded, continuing, "'But if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit,'" she nudged him a little, "And you are far too cute dear."

He laughed, though he had a small, almost sad smile, "No fruit then."

"So…" she reached out and took his hand, "What does all that tell you then?"

"That you're better," he nodded.

She frowned, seeing something in his slightly-sad expression. She reached out and gently turned his head to face him, "And you're not happy about that?"

"I am!" he nodded quickly, "I _am_ Kata, you know how much I hate to see you ill, to not be able to get you better instantly."

"Then what's the pouty face for?"

"I just…I like being able to take care of you," he admitted softly, reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, "You're so strong Kata, capable, you protect me all the time and watch out for me. YOU take care of ME. I just…I like being able to take care of you too."

"And you feel like, because I'm strong, you can't take care of me?" she frowned, she hadn't realized she'd made him feel that way.

"Believe me, I'm thrilled about this body of yours," he smiled a bit at her, "I'm so relieved you like it and that you're happy…I just…I'm the Doctor, I like being able to take care of people."

"Theta," she smiled, laughing lightly, "You take care of me in ways I can't even describe, all the time," he looked at her questioningly, "You _love_ me. That's _never_ happened before in my _life_. You're always complimenting me, and looking at me, and…wanting me," she blushed, making him smile at the feat, knowing how much she strived to make him blush, "You make me feel special and loved AND protected. I'm strong _because_ of that, because I know I can be, because I know that you won't ever let anything happen to me. THAT'S what makes me strong Theta, your love."

He smiled, "Oh."

She nodded, "Now…if you really want to take care of me," she leaned forward, draping her arms around his neck, "How about helping me into the bath then? I really _do_ need one," she crinkled her nose, knowing she'd been sweating an awful lot due to the fever.

"I can most certainly take care of that," he grinned, pulling her closer and suddenly scooping her into his arms, making her laugh with delight, "But um…as I do love taking care of people…I should _take care_ to make sure nothing happens _in_ the bath yes?"

She smirked, seeing a gleam in his eyes, "Oh yes, you most certainly should."

He gave her a quick kiss and carried her to their bathroom, very much looking forward to taking a nice warm bath with his wonderful wife.

~8~

The Professor laughed as she and the Doctor danced around the console, literally _dancing_ around the console, putting in coordinates here and there, aimlessly flying really. They were celebrating. The Doctor had given her a clean bill of health, she was completely over her illness and he was excited at the prospect of getting her out and on an adventure, knowing she'd been cooped up for too long, as had he.

"Where should we go my love?" she asked as they swayed back and forth to a song only they could hear.

"Anywhere and everywhere my dear," he grinned…

Before sneezing.

The Professor laughed heartily at that, she KNEW this would happen

"And so it begins," she smiled at him, taking his hand to lead him back towards their bedroom.

He squeezed her hand, "I'm _fine_," he mocked.

She squeezed his hand in return, "Where have I heard _that_ one before?" she gave him a peck on the cheek, "Come along dear, now it's MY turn to play nurse."

He gave her a smile.

He couldn't wait.

She was the best nurse ever.

A/N: I was right, November has calmed down. I've worked out a system for school and work that gives me about an hour every morning to write/work on the chapters for this and The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl, giving me time on the weekends to work on the episodes. I'm hoping to try and post at least every 6 or 7 (maybe 5) days either a chapter of this series or The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl. And I wanted to announce here as well, that I've decided to write out the 3rd OC story I mentioned in The Beginning of a Family, to be posted on the 1st of January, 2013 (we'll make a year of DW!) :) I'm really excited about it, especially because we see more of 9 and romantic 10. I've got lots planned for that one, lots of twists, lots of pain and joy, nightmares and surprises, drama and romance...I can't wait ^-^

But as for this story...aw...who wouldn't want the Doctor taking care of them when they're sick? :) We all saw how broken up the Doctor was when the Professor nearly died from Chen-7 in a flashback of GWW, so I wanted to look into what he'd be like now with a very non-life threatening illness...yep, still a bit of the madman eh? This chapter was inspired by a review request and...the sneezing baby panda video on youtube. Check it out, it's _adorable_!

Just a quick final note, if there are any off-screen adventures mentioned in the series/show that you'd like to see written out, or little one line references to situations the Doctor gets himself into (the Doctor tends to love claiming it 'only happened once' lol) or anything really, just drop a review and I'll consider it for a chapter here :) I've gotten some in reviews that I think might work better as a flashback to appear somewhere, but every idea/suggestion I keep track of and have on a list. The more we get, the bigger the source of chapter ideas I'll have :)

Next chapter: Are You My Mummy?


	12. Are You My Mummy?

Are You My Mummy? (10/10)

"Egypt?" the Doctor frowned as he stepped out of the TARDIS after the Professor, who insisted on going first to 'survey the area,' "Again?"

"Different time," the Professor remarked as he shut the door behind them.

"Oh, right," he nodded, relieved.

"I wanted to actually get an adventure out of this one," she explained, "We never got to finish the last trip here."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Cleo was…rather…"

"Wanton," the Professor finished, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

The Doctor smiled at the flash of jealousy the Professor was exhibiting. Even though he knew she probably wanted to kill Cleopatra right now…not a good thing…he was just so happy to see some form of emotion from her. She'd spent most of this body as an expressionless soldier, who hid her emotions behind a blank mask. The only time she really showed any hint of them had been when he'd been in danger…and when Jenny died.

But then there was a Dalek threat, a reality bomb, and a meta-crisis with Donna that had snapped her out of it. She'd partially absorbed a bit of Donna's humanity, which had broken through the soldier-like shell she'd been locked away in. Now she was experiencing, allowing herself to feel, emotions again. Not all of them were good and, at times, they tended to overwhelm her to the point where she had to put her mask back on, put her emotions on a shelf so that she could sort through them later.

Now though, she was allowing herself to smile and laugh and cry, not that she ever really cried much, unless something was terribly wrong, but still…any emotion he got from her he was pleased to see. Even jealousy…

Actually, ESPECIALLY jealousy.

The Professor was _adorable_ when she was jealous, itchy trigger finger aside. Cleo, well, he'd mentioned her during a reminiscence when Mickey had just started travelling with them. After Mickey had heard about her he'd wanted to go meet her, so they'd gone. The Professor had been very uncomfortable as it had been in her last body, where she didn't like to start hostilities or fights. She'd closed herself off, gotten very quiet, hugged herself half the time, and kept her distance from Cleo as much as she could.

But he'd seen it, in her eyes, the pain that came with watching someone you loved be targeted by another woman.

He'd called that trip rather early, claiming a distress call had gone off in the TARDIS. The Professor had been the first one to head for the box. He'd never gotten it out of her, why she'd been so upset with Cleo, wanting to hear it from her, but she'd just said that the heat of the desert was getting to her, giving her a headache. It was partially true, she'd never been one for warm weather, preferring the cold where she could snuggle up under a thick blanket with a cup of tea and a good book. Though, it was a little different now, as she tended to snuggle with him and not a book.

After Rose had been lost to Pete's World, and they had Bonded, he'd finally managed to get the_ truth_ out of her about that trip with Cleo. It had always been a trip she'd wanted to do in the back of her mind, ancient Egypt. See the majesty of the pyramids and the sphinx while they were still new. But they just hadn't gotten to it.

Now though, they'd just gotten back from a wormhole issue that left them on San Helios, now a desert planet, and it had reminded them of Egypt. The Professor had wanted to go. And who was he to deny her, especially when SHE actually WANTED to go on an adventure. This version of her seemed content to just go where he led, keeping him out of danger. Now, her curiosity was back full force, and with it, her sense of adventure.

He couldn't be happier.

"Well then," he took her hand, "Allons-y!"

"One moment," she called, pulling him back a little. She took off her thin bluish-gray jacket that she'd taken to wearing after the meta-crisis and tossed it back into the TARDIS, knowing it would only get hotter once they stepped out of the shade and into the desert.

The Doctor gave a small grin. Despite this incarnation of her having been a soldier, stiff, distant, she was beautiful. Well, to him she always was, but her outfit had suited her. A thin-strap tank top, black knee-length cargo pants…he couldn't complain. The pants showed off enough of her legs and the shirt her arms and shoulders, for him to be a happy man. He'd never tell her that though, then she'd know for certain why he _really_ gave her that skirt for her TARDIS exams…

'_Heard that,_' she whispered in his mind.

He blushed, but grinned, their mental connection had snapped wide open upon the meta-crisis. Where she had been a closed off soldier, she was now his open Kata again. He would take her hearing embarrassing thoughts if it meant her mind was open to his enough to hear them in the first place.

'_Good,_' he winked at her as she rolled her eyes. He tugged a little and they were off, ready to explore Egypt, circa the 1450s B.C.

~8~

The Professor had been _thrilled_ with this trip, they'd seen everything, the pyramids, one still partially in construction, the market stalls, swam in the Nile…he'd nearly had dual heart-attacks at that. They'd actually just come from the swimming, the heat of the desert drying them off. He'd been shocked when they'd gone for a swim though…because one minute he was commenting on how beautiful the Nile was, and the next thing he knew, he was being pushed into it by the Professor, who had, surprisingly, jumped in right next to him. It had been a magnificent day, in fact, it was still early in the afternoon as they walked through the market.

"What about that?" he nodded towards a large building.

"The Temple of Amun-Ra," the Professor read on the stone above the entrance before smiling, "Let's."

He grinned and they ran off towards the large building, eager to see inside. They'd only managed to see the main foyer when someone screamed. They looked at each other only a moment before racing down the halls, trying to find out who had screamed and why, if they were in trouble, to try and help.

They raced around a corner, stopping short in the doorway of a room, to see a woman in regal attire, basically a white dress with gold effects and a large traditional Egyptian crown on her head, backed against a wall on the other end of the room. There were men, priests, lying dead on the floor, with two guards among them. Two more guards were standing before the woman, the queen, and using their spears to try and stab at little scarabs that were scuttling towards them, clicking menacingly.

One of the guards tried to step on the scarab nearest to him, only for him to scream a moment later. The Time Lords watched in horror as a lump appeared at the bottom of the man's foot, crawling up his leg, under his skin, to his chest, before he gripped it and fell to the ground, convulsing before stilling.

Clearly the scarabs were deadly.

"No!" the queen gasped as her last guard fell, the scarabs all swarming towards her now that she was defenseless.

The Doctor quickly pulled out his sonic, "Cover your ears!" he shouted to the woman, who did as she was commanded. He flicked it on to a rather high pitch, not harming to a human, but uncomfortable…and _very_ effective against scarabs.

The insects began to freeze, squealing and clicking quickly, starting to twitch on the floor, immobilized by the noise.

The Professor whipped out her blaster and quickly fired at the bugs, striking each and every one of them with precision, destroying them all in a matter of seconds. The Doctor looked at her and she nodded, they were all gone, and he clicked off the sonic.

The woman slowly lowered her hands, eyeing them, then the bugs, then her guards, then them once more, "Ra smiles upon me," she murmured, taking a cautious step towards them, "Who are you?"

The Doctor just waved her off and moved to kneel down by one of the bugs, the Professor beside him. He flashed the sonic on the bugs, curious as to what they were and why they were so deadly.

"Trickster's Brigade," he murmured to the Professor, "Very distant cousins to the beetle that latched onto Donna."

She nodded and looked up at the woman, panting against the wall, still staring at them, "Why are they after you?" she asked.

The woman swallowed hard and shook her head, "I don't know, I had just come to pray to Ra for…" she trailed off, her eyes wide as she looked at the Doctor, "A husband…"

"Yeah, about that," the Doctor rubbed his neck, "Sorry, but…"

"He's taken," the Professor narrowed her eyes at the woman.

The woman, seeing this, glared back and stood to her full height, "You would deny Hatshepsut? Ruler of Egypt?"

"Yep," the Doctor nodded, "Pretty much sums me up."

"We shall see," Hatshepsut remarked quietly, her gaze on the Doctor. She took a breath and stepped forward, "But first I shall thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome," the Professor said stiffly, having heard the woman's words before, "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to be off," she took the Doctor's hand and pulled him away…

Only for Hatshepsut to grab his other arm and try to tug him back.

"Please," she called, "Allow me to show my gratitude..."

"Show it to someone else," the Professor remarked, tugging the Doctor away.

Hatshepsut huffed, "I merely wish to repay you for your bravery," she stated, "BOTH of you," she added a moment later. They eyed her, "Please, anything you wish, I shall grant, all of Egypt is within my power."

The Doctor nudged the Professor, "You always _did_ want to carve a message in hieroglyphics..."

"Granted," Hatshepsut cut in before the Professor could make some excuse to get them out of Hatshepsut's presence, "Come with me and I shall have one of my architects bring you to the pyramid construction," she turned and briskly led them back out of the temple and towards the pyramids, "You may select any area, leave any message you wish, if you so desire."

The Professor hesitated, it was a very unique opportunity...and, given the Doctor's luck with Queens, all of whom seemed to eventually want his head on a pike, it was probably one that wouldn't come around again.

"Fine," she sighed.

"Wonderful," Hatshepsut clapped, striding over to one of the men going over plans of the pyramid, leaving the Time Lords alone, but within sight.

"I don't like this," the Professor remarked quietly to the Doctor as he looked at her, "She's going to try something."

He smiled and squeezed her hand, "I wouldn't worry about HER," he nodded back at the queen, "What's the worst that could happen?"

She shook her head at him, smiling just a bit, "You _had_ to say that, didn't you?"

He just beamed and winked.

~8~

The Doctor was walking around the palace, Hatshepsut giving him a tour while the Professor remained with the architects, trying to decide on a message. It had been an hour or two ago now, but he knew the Professor, she'd want it to be perfect, meaningful, true, and everlasting.

It was a lot to think on.

And he had to admit, he was enjoying the tour, the palace was amazing! It was huge! And there were so many statues and etchings on the walls and decorations and people, and just...history! Going on right in front of him. It was _incredible_.

"And now," Hatshepsut called, leading him to a large set of double doors, "We come to our last stop..." she pushed the doors open, letting him walk in.

He stopped short only a few feet in, staring at the sight before him. He frowned, "The bedroom."

And then he heard the doors shut behind him.

He swallowed hard.

This would _not_ end well for him.

He turned around to see the woman leaning against the doors, grinning in what he was sure was her attempt at seduction...but that look on anyone else's face but the Professor just came across as disturbing to him. It made him uncomfortable because the only one he wanted looking at him like that was the Professor. She was his fiancé, as good as his wife in his mind, he just...didn't look at other women like that. He hadn't for over 900 years.

"Doctor," Hatshepsut murmured, stepping closer, reaching out to play with the lapel of his suit, "Have you considered my proposition?"

"What...what was that again?" he asked, taking her hands off him and trying to step back, but she was relentless.

"Be my king," she whispered, leaning forward to speak into his ear, "Rule at my side, be worshiped as a god on Earth..."

He backed up, wiping at his ear, "No, thanks, I'd make a horrid god. I'm a bit of a talker, wouldn't get me to shut up, my gospel would be books long and no one would read it, waste of paper that would be, waste of papyrus..."

"Then be my king," Hatshepsut stepped closer, moving her arms around his neck.

"No," he stepped back, speaking firmly, "I'm already someone's king, well, near enough, and I'm not about to replace _her_ with _you_."

Hatshepsut glared at him, his words registering, "I am not enough?" she seemed offended, "_Me_? I am the _ruler_ of _Egypt_! I am a _goddess_!"

"Maybe," he shrugged, "But you're not MY goddess."

She glared, "Guards!"

~8~

The Professor was walking through the palace, trying to find either the Doctor or Hatshepsut...preferably the Doctor...when she caught sight of the woman.

"Her!" Hatshepsut pointed, glaring, "Seize her!"

The Professor frowned, stiffening, as a group of men, the queen's guard, ran at her, spears in their hands. She sighed, the Doctor wouldn't like what she was about to do...but she knew, he'd rather her protect herself and not be harmed than anything.

When the first man reached her, he made the mistake of grabbing her arm, thinking he could restrain the mere slip of a girl.

Big mistake.

The Professor used his grip to duck under his arm, pulling his arm behind him and up his back, painfully. He cried out, and she kicked him in the back of the legs, sending him crashing to his knees. She quickly chopped him in the neck, knocking him out. As he fell to the floor she turned and jumped to the side to avoid another guard who tried to stab her with the spear. She grabbed it beside her, twisting it over her, forcing the man to spin around from the movement, pressing his back to hers and leaned forward, throwing him over her shoulder, winded and injured, and leaving her with another weapon. She swung the spear out, blocking an attack from the third man and hit him in the side of the head with the bottom end, knocking him out.

She spun around, the spear above her to face the fourth man, this one actually managing to fight her a bit with his spear, before she managed to knock his own from his hands. She dropped down and swung her leg out, knocking his legs out from under him, putting the point of her spear in the ground beside his head, startling him. She turned, pulling out her blaster to the final man who stopped short at the sight of the odd weapon aimed at him. He stiffened and slowly began to lower his spear till he'd placed it on the ground and backed up, his hands in the air in surrender. This woman had just managed to take down _four_ rather large men...he could only _imagine_ what she'd do to _him_ if he even_ tried_ to fight her.

She nodded, stalking past the fallen men and up to Hatshepsut, who seemed stunned and frightened, backed into a corner with nowhere to run and no one to protect her now.

"Where is he?" she demanded, both women knowing she was talking about the Doctor.

Hatshepsut was quiet.

So the Professor stepped back and aimed her blaster at the queen, "Where?"

~8~

The Professor paused in the doorway of the sacred room reserved for embalming and mummification, hearing a strange noise from within. She frowned, it sounded like a muffled yell. She walked in, following the noise to a golden sarcophagus standing, slightly leaning, against a wall. She walked over, firing her blaster at the locks on either side of it, grunting a little as she pulled the heavy lid off.

There, standing inside, wrapped tightly in white linen, was the Doctor, only his eyes visible as he struggled to move.

'_Kata!_' he cheered in her mind, seeing her before him.

"Oh Theta," she sighed, shaking her head, "What have you gotten yourself into now?"

He rolled his eyes, '_A little help would be much appreciated._'

She reached out to begin unwrapping him, when she paused, smiling.

His eyes narrowed, he was frowning, _'What is it?_'

"I hate to say it, I really do," she began, laughing, "But...are you my mummy?"

He rolled his eyes at her, '_Ha ha Kata. Funny._'

"I thought so," she remarked, getting to work untying knots and unwrapping him.

'_Well it's not,_' he huffed.

"Oh? And why is that?"

'_You did it wrong._'

She looked up at him, "How did I do that?"

'_You weren't wearing a gasmask,_' he told her, '_It's only funny if you're wearing a gasmask._'

She stepped back and crossed her arms, giving him a look.

His eyes widened, '_Or dressed as a mummy,_' he added quickly, trying to appease her, _'It's hysterical when there's an actual mummy involved._'

"Nice save," she commented, stepping back to finish unwrapping him, much to his relief.

~8~

"Do I _want_ to know how you ended up like that?" the Professor asked as they walked back to the TARDIS, checking the blaster she'd very nearly used on the blasted knots in the linen he'd been wrapped in. It had taken her longer than she liked, getting him unwrapped, but she didn't want to risk accidently nicking him with a shot from her gun.

"Not really, no," he said quickly.

Too quickly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, working out what must have happened, "What did she do?"

"Nothing."

She huffed, "Fine, then what did she TRY to do?"

"Nothing."

"Theta."

He sighed, turning to face her as they reached the doors of the TARDIS, "Honestly Kata, whatever she may or may not have tried it meant _nothing_," she gave him a look, "I wouldn't have ended up nearly buried alive if it had eh?"

"So she tried to seduce you then?" she guessed.

He sighed again and nodded his head, reaching out quickly to grab her arm when she turned, ready to march back into the palace and let Hatshepsut have it, "No, no," he chastised her lightly, "She's still got another couple years before she dies. You can't kill her now."

"Time is in flux," she remarked, "She doesn't do anything spectacular in the next few years."

He laughed taking her other hand, holding them as he got her to look at him, "If it's alright with you, I'd rather just head into the TARDIS, get into the Vortex, and get myself wrapped up in something else."

"What?" she frowned.

He smirked, giving her a quick, deep kiss, "You," he whispered in her ear.

She stiffened, but there were pink tints to her cheek, which made him beam at having gotten such a reaction out of her.

She simply turned to open the doors to the TARDIS, pulling him in after her as he laughed.

~8~

River Song, of Luna University, knelt in the hall of a pyramid in Earth's Egypt, working alongside the rest of her Archaeology class. While there were many new advancements in the field of Archaeology, in terms of excavation and the like, the University was a firm believer that you should know the basics, know how to get down and dirty, should your technology fail you. So here they were, looking at the hieroglyphics, studying the architecture, the history of Egypt. She'd always had a better time of translating other languages than her classmates, a lingering gift of the TARDIS.

She couldn't help but smile at the message before her.

'The Doctor and the Professor forever.'

A/N: I hope this little ending was good. I really wanted some sort of 'what did she write' thing to be revealed. And, given the way the Doctor was thinking about her message, it would be a big monumental, touching message of epic importance and wisdom, but, looking at it, it was _exactly_ what he thought she'd write. True, perfect, meaningful, and everlasting :)

Sorry this chapter took so long to post, I've got a chapter set in mind for a Christmas chapter of The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl, and in order to get to it by Christmas, I have to get through quite a few more chapters for that story, so I've been focusing/updating that one more. But don't worry! I've got at least 3 chapters planned out for December, one near the beginning, one for Christmas, and one for New Year's with a possible extra chapter somewhere in there :)

Thanks so much for your prompts in reviews and PMs! You guys rock and seriously inspire me :)

Next chapter: The Art of Drinking


	13. The Art of Drinking

The Art of Drinking (11/11)

The Doctor and Professor were walking down the street of a quaint French village they hadn't stopped to learn the name of. The Doctor had wanted this trip to be a surprise and forbid her from looking at the date or the layout of the town. He was _very_ excited as he'd managed to land the TARDIS in the right time, the early 1940s. He couldn't wait for her to meet this latest person of interest.

They'd opted to explore, meet some different people on the list they'd made as children. He had to admit, he was on a bit of an artist kick at the moment, they'd met Michelangelo, da Vinci, and now they were on their way to meet Pablo Picasso…

He briefly considered if they should wake Amy, the girl had been sleeping more, a sort of sadness in her that existed throughout the day that made her tired at night. They both knew it was the lingering loss of Rory, who had been erased from time only a few adventures ago. They'd tried to keep her mind off it, but it was hard. Often, when she went to sleep, they'd go have an adventure or two, neither having the hearts to wake her.

He was keeping this one a secret from the Professor, hiding his thoughts. She'd surprised him the last time, taking him to see the genius that was da Vinci, so he'd wanted to return the favor. He couldn't help but smile at the expression on her face, she was happy, excited…and a little nervous, which he assumed was to be expected…the trips he planned had a way of ending up, well, deadly.

But they were so much fun otherwise!

He squeezed her hand, swinging it between them, as they walked on. They'd just turned a corner, when someone careened into them, nearly knocking them to the ground.

"Oi!" the Doctor shouted, "Watch it!"

"Sorry," a man spoke, with a distinct American accent, "I'm kinda in a hurry and..."

"Jack?" the Professor cut in.

And there, before them, was in fact Captain Jack Harkness. He stared at them a moment, glancing at the bow-tie wearing man, the girl with the...sonic blaster in her hand.

"Doctor?" he asked, "Professor? What are you doing here?"

The Doctor smiled, "We could ask you the same thing."

~8~

They were all sitting outside a little café, Jack with a coffee before him, explaining exactly how he'd gotten there given the fact that the Doctor was fairly certain he'd, once and for all, fried the Vortex Manipulator the man was _still_ wearing, he claimed he felt naked without it.

"A friend of mine from the Time Agency," he began, "A fellow con," he grinned, "Met up with me in Cardiff, we got to talking about the good old times, pulling the wool over our fellow Time Agents' eyes, and we started thinking about maybe pulling one more con, teaming up you know. Two heads and all."

"Let me guess," the Professor smiled, "Stealing a priceless work of Pablo Picasso's art and reintroducing it in the 21st century as a lost treasure?"

Jack blinked and stared at her, much like the Doctor was, though the Doctor for a very different reason, "How did you know?"

The Professor laughed, "I was in Intergalactic Relations Jack, I know how cons work. Why else would you both be here, in 1941 France, in the town Picasso lived?"

The Doctor frowned, "You knew?"

She smiled, "It was easy to pinpoint our location in time Doctor, we do it all the time when we step out of the TARDIS. It's a natural reaction now."

He pouted, "I wanted to surprise you."

She reached out and gave him a quick peck, patting his cheek, "I was _very_ surprised that you managed to land us in the right time and place though, so that's a point to you."

He laughed and shook his head, "So what happened Jack?"

Jack sighed, "Turns out Mary…"

"Was in it for herself?" the Professor guessed.

"Himself," Jack corrected, "Marian is his name, we always called him Mary."

She raised an eyebrow, "Ever think that maybe _that_ had something to do with him conning _you_?"

"Nah," he waved her off, "Anyway, turns out we get there and Mary goes for the painting…only for Picasso to walk into the room. Now, we're standing there, the painting between us, and there he is, the man himself, just looking at us. Didn't even do anything and Mary drops the painting and runs! Just bolts out the door, always was a little coward now that I think about it. Still, can't blame him, I took off too."

"And he left you," the Doctor nodded, working out the rest, "Stranded, because HE was the one with the working Vortex Manipulator."

"Yeah."

"Well, come on Jack, we'll give you a lift back," the Doctor stood.

"AFTER we met Picasso though," the Professor grinned, taking his hand and leading him off down the street.

He'd managed to get them to the right time and place...this time. But, knowing him, he'd completely over or undershoot it next time and they'd end up in the middle of the French Revolution…with the Doctor's head in a guillotine…again…

'_That only happened once!_' he shouted in her mind, making her laugh.

~8~

Finding Picasso had actually been remarkably easy…getting the man to allow them to observe him painting…that had been remarkably difficult. He was a very private man, very gruff to speak with. He had this natural frowning expression on his face that gave the impression of him being unamused. The Doctor had tried every excuse under the sun to get the man to let them watch him create his paintings, from being fans to writing a museum piece about his work, that last one had _finally_ been the one to do it with help from the psychic paper.

So, they found themselves sitting in Picasso's home that night, the man set up in his sitting room, staring at his blank canvas…as he had been for the last _two hours_. They were sitting on the sofa, watching him intently, but he _still_ hadn't moved and the Doctor was starting to get jittery…_never_ a good sign.

Just as the Professor was about to suggest they take a walk outside to calm the Doctor's nerves, Picasso moved. He lifted his paintbrush and made a small line with yellow paint, they held their breath, ready to watch the magic…when Picasso paused and looked at it intently once more. They let out a breath, hunching over on the sofa.

It wouldn't have been so bad had the man spoken more than two words to them. Apparently, Pablo Picasso was a very quiet, serious painter. Every stroke was deliberate, well thought out, and had to be perfectly placed to make the piece work. And the silence was deafening, the stillness suffocating.

"Well," Jack said, clapping his hands and getting up, "I'll be back," he headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" the Doctor called.

"We're gonna need _something_ to do if we're just sitting here watching him move every half hour."

And with that, he walked out the door, what he was planning they didn't know and weren't sure they really wanted to know either.

~8~

They were right to not want to know what Jack was planning, for he returned only ten minutes later with a bag full of wine bottles and glasses. Setting them up and pouring them out, red wines, white wines, he even had, for some reason they didn't know, whiskey and small shot glasses.

"Um, Jack," the Professor began, frowning at the alcohol, "Do we want to know?"

He smirked, "Drinking game," he filled the shot glasses, "Every time he moves, we take a shot."

The Doctor picked up one of the small glasses and frowned, looking at the liquid inside it. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed, before dipping his tongue into it, only to grimace and put the glass down, trying to wipe his tongue off, "Oh that's horrid!"

Jack laughed, "It's an acquired taste for some. What about you Professor?"

She shook her head, "I really don't drink Jack…"

And she didn't. She'd seen how crazy some people...namely the Doctor...could get after they'd had a few too many. She'd never had more than a glass of wine at the most…save two times when she _had_ gotten drunk, both of which the Doctor had a hand in. Both times had ended up with _her_ feeling rather embarrassed when she woke up the next morning and _the Doctor_ grinning as though he'd won the lottery he so often helped others win.

Apparently she was a flirty, rambunctious, saucy drunk who only had enough focus left to target the Doctor.

She could always remember what she'd done the next day, they both could, their minds being too advanced to truly ever 'black out' as the humans would say. But their inhibitions would certainly take a hit once the alcohol had worked its way into them. And it would take A LOT to get them truly drunk…probably them consuming every bit of alcohol Jack had brought with him.

"Come on," he grinned, nudging her, "Or is the Time Lady afraid she'll get beat by an old Time Agent?"

She narrowed her eyes, she _hated_ when people did that, made it into a challenge…because she never refused a challenge.

"Bring it on Boe Boy," she countered.

He laughed at the nickname, recalling when he'd mentioned he grew up on the Boeshane Penninsula, and lifted his shot glass to her in a toast. She smirked, lifting hers as well, both of them downing it.

The Doctor, trying to avoid taking his own shot, looked over at Picasso who had started to outline eyes, "Concentrate Pablo, it's two eyes on either side of the face!" he called.

The man just tensed, turned to look glaringly over his shoulder at the Doctor, before turning back to his work.

The Professor laughed and patted the Doctor's shoulder, "Drink your shot dear."

He sighed and downed his own.

Jack, who had never had the pleasure of dealing with drunken Time Lords, wouldn't know what hit him.

~8~

Jack blinked.

Jack shook his head.

Jack blinked again.

Oh boy.

What had he_ done_?

He couldn't _believe_ what was happening right in front of him, if he'd known THIS was what getting the Doctor and Professor drunk was like, he would have done it A LONG time ago.

This was _hysterical_!

The Doctor was currently standing beside Picasso, who was hunched over and brooding, looking at the man's half-finished painting, a bottle of wine in his hands, his other arm around the Professor's waist, the woman in question half hanging of him, her own glass of wine forgotten on the table as she focused more on drinking the Doctor than anything.

"They're moving!" the Doctor cried, his words slurred, "They are!" he nudged the Professor away from his neck where she was kissing him to look at the painting, "See! The eyes! They're moving!"

The Professor giggled, "Move them here," she reached out and turned his head to her, kissing him hard.

Jack jolted forward and managed to snatch the wine bottle out of the Doctor's hands before he dropped it in wrapping his arms around the Professor, "I think you've had enough," he remarked, glancing at the empty bottles around them.

They'd drunk _everything_. Every last drop, save for the remains of the half-empty bottle in the Doctor's hands.

"Oi!" the Doctor whined, feebly attempting to take the bottle back, "Gimme!"

"No, no," Jack laughed, "You're cut off."

"But…"

"Professor," Jack turned to her, sensing that, even drunk as a skunk, she'd be able to control the Time Lord better than he could.

"Not cut off from me," she smiled, kissing him again, distracting the Doctor from his quest for the wine.

Jack sighed and shook his head as the Time Lords stumbled and fell onto the sofa. He glanced over at Picasso who was glaring at him, his arms crossed, recognizing him as one of the people who had tried to steal his art.

Jack gave a nervous grin before glancing at the Time Lords, his eyes widening as he saw that they'd both removed their jackets and didn't seem to be stopping any time soon.

"Right!" he called, "Time to head out," he moved over, tugging them off the sofa.

"Jack!" the Professor whined this time, "We were in the _middle_ of something."

"Oh I can see that," he nodded, handing them their jackets, "Why don't you continue it back in the TARDIS…"

"Lovely idea," the Doctor laughed, slinging an arm over Jack's shoulder even as he turned to the Professor, "Bed is better than a sofa."

"Come on!" she giggled, grabbing his hand and pulling him out.

Jack just shook his head, rushing after them, needing to make sure they at least made it back to the TARDIS in one piece.

~8~

The Professor groaned as she slowly woke, the false sunlight streaming in from the false window of their bedroom, mocking her. She pressed a hand to her head, "I _hate_ Jack."

"Don't talk," the Doctor mumbled, wincing as he felt his own hangover hit him, "I will give you _anything_ if you don't talk."

She sighed and rolled over to look at him, lying on his back a moment before turning his head to her, "Can I kill him?"

"You can't," he reminded her, "He took your blaster for safe keeping."

"I wasn't going to actually _use_ it!" she defended, before pouting, "But he kept interrupting us!"

He laughed, reaching out a hand to absently stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, "I have to say though…I LOVE you when you're drunk dear."

She rolled her eyes, "That's only because I show _everyone_ just _how much_ I love you when I am."

He grinned, _smirked_ really, as she blushed.

Before he could say another word there was a knock on their door.

"I can see the bow tie on the knob so I know not to come in," Amy called through the door, "But…I just want to ask…who's that man sleeping on the jump seat? Did you pick up another stray Doctor?"

The Doctor and Professor looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

A/N: So sorry! I really wanted to get this out on the 10th, but my professor decided to cram another chapter into our final so I was scrambling to try and study it along with the others. But! My final was last night so I am _finally_ done with school for the next couple weeks and I wanted to celebrate by getting this chapter up :) Lol, 'I will give you _anything_ if you don't talk.' Gotta love hungover Time Lords. I really had no idea how to portray them drunk. One review suggested them getting drunk, possibly involving Jack (lol, Boe Boy), and I remembered how I'd written the Doctor was drunk when Picasso painted so it just all came together. I hope you enjoyed it :)

The next chapter though, won't be up till Christmas though, sorry :( I've got_ tons_ of editing to do on my BBC's Sherlock story to get it ready for posting (it is shaping up to be ridiculously long), and I have mad work to do for my job, stupid end of the year taxes and filings and reports :(

Next chapter: Best. Christmas. Ever!


	14. Best Christmas Ever!

A/N: Whenever you see an age listed, imagine it is the Doctor's age. Enjoy!

~8~

Best. Christmas. Ever! (1/1 and 11/11)

_"In the 390 years I spent with you in the Academy you ALWAYS_ _tried to sneak a peek at your presents early. And then, when I hid them, you found them, and when I hid them better, you created a new app for the sonic so you could find them, and THEN I had to resort to making them out of wood just to throw you off!"_

~8~

10 Years Old…

He whistled to himself a merry little Earth tune called 'Jingle Bells' as he wandered through the halls of the Academy. He was in a good mood, quite a good mood really. He'd given her a little bear for Christmas, her first Christmas gift apparently, which was understandable as Time Lords didn't typically celebrate the holidays of other species. They were quite stuffy that way, very…ethnocentric…he'd read that word somewhere. But he rather enjoyed Earth, their legends, their customs, their species, they were fantastic.

Everyone else, all his other friends, thought him barmy that he favored the 'little insects' so. But she didn't. And that was incredible. He'd been at the Academy two years already and he hadn't run into anyone else who seemed to be fond of the humans. She was. And that was great, he couldn't wait to talk more with her about them. She'd only just arrived at the Academy a few months ago and hadn't quite gotten to the classes on Earth yet, but she'd read about them, all on her own. That _had_ to mean she was curious about them.

He loved curious people. He was curious. But…she was _really_ hesitant about it all. She was quiet. She hardly ever spoke unless he began to talk to her first. It was like…she was _so_ _brilliant_ but she didn't want other people to_ know_ she was. What sort of little girl hid away in a library, reading piles of books in silence, actually _reading_ them and not flipping through them, but a clever one? She had to love books, to read and not flip through them, she had to enjoy them, really want to absorb them, take her time getting her facts.

He just had to work at getting her to _talk_. He could only imagine what clever things she'd say. He saw her expression sometimes, when he would say something, like she disagreed with him, or that she thought he was mad, but she never really _said_. He'd have to work on that, he loved debating. Most people just gave up whenever he started talking, because he'd gob on and on to the point where they would just nod along or agree to shut him up. But she sat there, she _listened_ to him, no matter how long he talked for, she'd absorb everything and, right at the end, he'd look at her, and she'd say something about it. Usually only a few words or a short sentence, but it was _exactly_ what he needed to hear to know she'd actually paid complete attention and remembered what he'd said.

Now he just had to get her to engage in it…

"Oof!" he grunted as he turned a corner, something crashing into him, sending him falling to his backside. He looked up to see the little girl that had been running through his mind had just run into him, literally. She was across from him, having fallen as well, clutching a rectangular wooden box with a blue bow on it to her chest.

"Sorry!" she gasped, scrambling to her feet and trying to help him up.

He laughed, "It's alright," he grinned, not letting go of her hand as he held it in between his two, examining her wrist, the same one that had been broken when he'd first met her, "It's looking much better," he told her, squeezing her hand before letting go.

She gave him a little smile, "Thank you," before hugging the box to her.

He eyed it, "What's that?"

She blushed a little, holding the box out to him.

"For me?" he tilted his head, taking the box, "What for?"

"Merry Christmas."

He smiled, tugging the bow off it quickly, impatient to see what she'd gotten him, even though she really didn't have to get him anything at all. His eyes widened as he opened the little box to see it was a small chess set, "Thank you!" he beamed, reaching out to hug her tightly, spinning her around suddenly, making her let out a squeak of surprise before he set her down, "Come on!" he grabbed her hand, pulling her off, the box tucked under his arm.

"Where?" she asked.

"We need to break this in!" he wiggled the box at her, so excited to play. She'd taught him to play months ago and now…he might _actually_ be able to _beat_ her!

…an hour later he pouted, realizing, no, he was not. But still, he loved the gift, he'd treasure it always.

~8~

97 Years Old…

"Kata?" Theta called as he stepped into her room, tossing his bag onto a chair set up beside her desk. Her roommates were out, no need to hide the fact he knew her name. He paused, seeing her room was empty, she wasn't back from classes yet. He rolled his eyes and moved over to her bed, plopping down onto his back, grabbing a book off her bedside table. He flipped through it, smiling as he saw it was a book on Earth foods.

None of her classes currently involved food, however both of them loved reading and learning more and more about the Earth. He looked at a few items in the book…when something caught his gaze.

There, on the desk, was a round parcel, circular, wrapped in blue with a white bow. He grinned, his Christmas gift. It had become a tradition between them, to exchange Christmas gifts with each other in honor of their shared love for the Earth, the true beginning of their friendship.

He leapt off the bed, tossing the book down onto her pillow, and rushed over. He glanced around the room as though expecting her to walk in before he reached out and began to unwrap the gift slowly, taking care not to rip any of the paper…he'd need to rewrap it so she wouldn't know he'd peeked…

He'd gotten only halfway through when the door opened. He froze, his hand half-raised, the edge of the paper in hand, and stared at the door, wide eyed, as Kata raised an eyebrow at him.

"Care to explain?" she asked, moving to cross her arms, giving him a look.

"Um…Merry Christmas?"

She shook her head and laughed. She'd hoped she would be back _before_ he'd gotten there, to make sure this wouldn't happen. She'd known him almost a century, he was far too curious for his own good. While she was just as curious, she seemed to have a more analytical outlook, more wanting to observe and research, discover, while he blindly ran in and right up to something to look at it up close. He was just as likely to dive right into something while she would rather propel down carefully, taking her time to observe everything…until he'd grab her and pull her along with him.

"Oh go on," she waved him on, tossing her bag onto her bed.

He beamed and tore open the package, blinking when he saw it was a plate with a cover and what looked like six cupcakes on it. He pulled the cover off and picked one up, sniffing it, "You baked these yourself?" she nodded and he eyed the small metal balls on the top of it, "Are these going to break my teeth?"

She laughed, "No, they're _edible_ ball bearings," she told him, "I managed to get some from Earth," she picked up the cook book he'd dropped on her pillow, sitting against the headboard as she flipped through it.

He shrugged, biting into it, before grinning, "Top banana!" he cheered, through a mouthful of cake, moving to sit on the edge of her bed with her, the plate in his hands, "And those crunchy ball bearings…"

"Molto Bene?" she smiled.

"Exactly!" he laughed, "Brilliant!" he took another bite, before holding the last piece out to her.

She just opened her mouth and he…smushed it into her face.

"Theta!" she squealed laughing, smiling as well as she wiped at her mouth, eating the rest of the cupcake off her fingers. She smiled at him, "Merry Christmas Theta."

~8~

136 Years Old…

"You're never gonna find it," Kata called as she sat on her floor, her back to her bed as she worked on a research paper, a few books scattered around her. He'd been searching her room for three hours now, convinced his Christmas gift was around there somewhere. She'd caught him sneaking a peek at his gift once a century or so ago, and since then taken to hiding his gifts from him if she wasn't absolutely certain she'd be back before he'd make it to her room.

Now he was trying to find them.

"Give me time Kata, I'll find it," he called, digging through her desk drawer.

"No, you won't," she called, sing-song.

He stiffened, looking over at her a moment before crawling over to her, sitting before her with his arms crossed, eyeing her.

She looked up a moment later, "What?"

He smirked, "I know where it is," he sang.

"No you don't," she countered in the same tune.

He just moved closer to her, kneeling on her books, right in front of her. He leaned closer, their faces only inches apart, "Yes," he whispered, "I do…" he leaned just a bit closer, making her breath catch in her throat, staring into her eyes…

Before pulling back quickly, a small parcel in his hand, "Ha!"

She looked back over her shoulder at where her pillow had been shifted before narrowing her eyes at him, he'd distracted her as he'd reached to her pillow to pull his gift out from under it. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Don't pout Kata," he laughed, tossing the box in his hand.

"Don't snoop Theta," she countered again.

He held up the gift, "Can I?"

She sighed but nodded, she'd have to find a better hiding spot next year.

He smiled and opened the silver paper, pulling off the golden bow, before he laughed. He pulled out a small pin, a nametag of sorts that said 'Hello! I'm the…Doctor!'

He pinned it to his shirt immediately, "How do I look?"

She smiled softly, "Like a Doctor."

~8~

261 Years Old…

He grinned to himself as he plopped down on Kata's floor, crossing his legs as he looked at the little wrapped parcel on his lap. It was decorated in the typical styling of an Earth present, green paper and a red bow. He smirked, he'd found it! This was a record for him, not even_ two minutes_!

All thanks to his handy little sonic screwdriver.

He'd _finally_ finished it, worked out all the little bugs and glitches, it was _perfect_! Well, you know, _mostly_...

He'd snuck into her room, courtesy of the sonic unlocking the door too, flashed the sonic around, running a scan for technology. Kata had hinted that his gift this year was something she'd built, _built_ not _made_, so it _had_ to have some sort of technology to it. The sonic was just _perfect_ for scanning for that.

He'd found it in her closet, behind a mess of other boxes, inside another plain looking box, buried in it as it was a small rectangular box. Clearly meant to throw him off, but not with the sonic's help. Oh no!

He tapped his fingers together excitedly, and had just_ touched_ the bow when the door flew open.

"Drop it Theta!" Kata pointed at him, just _knowing_ he'd gone after his present. He seemed to forget they could feel each other's emotions, he hadn't blocked his excitement or his pride in finding the present, so she'd left class early. It wasn't even that he'd_ found_ the gift that had sent her running. He _always_ tried to find it, but she'd managed to hide them well enough the last few decades. Apparently though he'd been working on apps for his sonic, making it more than just a device to unlock doors.

Now it could _scan_ for things too.

Wonderful.

She had no problem when he got impatient for his Christmas gift, she just liked being there when he opened it. She loved seeing him smile like he always did when he opened his gifts.

He quickly held up his hands and she dashed over, snatching the sonic off him, before plopping down and smiling "Go on."

He blinked and stared at her a moment, wondering if it was a trick.

"I didn't want _this_," she wiggled the sonic, "To spoil the surprise."

He let out a breath, happy that she wasn't angry with him for sneaking a peek. He always did and he was actually worried there might come a day where she'd get annoyed with him doing so. But…they'd known each other a little more than two centuries, if she was still with him now, even after all those times he'd _nearly_ gotten them both expelled, he doubted she'd up and leave him over _this_.

He reached down and pulled the bow off, tearing the paper, and opening the box, smiling as he saw a device that looked like a small rod with a square U at the top of it.

"A laser spanner," he laughed, he'd wanted one for _ages_!

"It'll get through deadlocks," she told him, she knew he had a bit of an issue getting the sonic to work against a deadlock seal.

"Thank you Kata!" he smiled.

"Merry Christmas Theta."

~8~

319 Years Old…

"What are you doing?" Kata asked as she opened the door to her room. She'd gotten a message from her roommates that 'that boy with the gob' had stopped by, claiming he wanted to hide a gift in her room…only he didn't have any gift they could see.

She stopped dead, seeing him on his knees by her bed, half under it, a familiar whirring noise of the sonic going off, "Theta?" she called once she'd shut her door.

"…hullo Kata," he called, his voice muffled as he remained under her bed.

"What are you doing?" she repeated, walking over to him and kneeling down, "Is there something under there?"

"I dunno," he remarked, "You tell me."

She blinked, "Are you...Theta are you trying to find your Christmas gift _again_?"

"…no…"

She shook her head, "It's not under the bed."

He sighed and scrambled out from underneath it, pouting, "Where is it?"

She laughed, "You've become too dependent on that," she told him, gesturing to the sonic before reaching into her school bag and pulling out a little white box with a small blue bow, handing it over, "Merry Christmas."

He beamed, tearing the bow and the wrapping off, pulling the lid off. His eyes widened as he slowly reached in and pulled out a tiny wooden figurine…a roaring Magmazard.

He burst out laughing, "Sonic wouldn't have helped anyway, would it?" he asked, nodding at the wooden carving.

"Not at all," she smiled, she'd gotten rather good at finding wooden gifts for him. She'd debated between giving him that or the schematics she'd come up with that would allow the sonic to work on wood…no…let him work for it.

~8~

400 Years Old…

"What's wrong Kata?" he asked as he absently searched her room, just looking at all the little knickknacks she had on her shelves and desk, the pictures hung up of the two of them, different items from their adventures, the whole room filled with mementos of their past.

He'd begun his annual search for his Christmas gift, and she'd sat there, not saying anything about it. Usually she'd comment on how he'd never find it or he was cheating by using the sonic or if he was warm or cold…but she was silent.

"You're 400 now," she said quietly.

"Yep."

"You graduate in a few months."

"Yep."

"This is our last Christmas together."

"Yep…no!" he spun around, moving to her side in an instant, kneeling before her, seeing she was upset, "Kata, this _isn't_ our last, not by a long shot."

She shook her head, "But you'll be graduating soon and then I'll be here by myself. You won't be here and…"

"And so you'll just have to come to me then," he cut in, reaching up to cup her cheek, "Kata, you can leave and visit people any time you want now. You can come see me whenever. I'll come see you every chance I get. And when the holidays roll around, you already know you're spending it with me and my family," he nudged her, "Like you have the last few centuries. You know my mum and dad love you, so does the rest of my family."

She smiled and nodded, no, this _wouldn't_ be the last, not at all, they'd_ never_ let that happen. They still had _so many_ traditions, things they did together that he'd already promised they'd continue, like watching the Pika Flowers bloom, "You're such a doctor," she told him, making him laugh, "Always making me feel better."

"Good," he nodded, "Means I went with the right title then."

She laughed and reached over to her bag, pulling out a small lumpy package, "Merry Christmas," she whispered, handing it over.

He smiled, moving to sit on the floor before her as he tore open the silver paper, pulling off the shiny blue bow, and tilted his head, seeing a scarf, a multi-colored scarf…a rather _long_ scarf. He held it up, "Must've taken quite a bit of yarn…"

She laughed, moving to kneel before him, taking the scarf and looping it around his neck quite a few times, "I wanted to make sure you'd have enough to never be cold," she told him, "I needed to make sure you'd be taken care of without me there to scold you for forgetting your coat or your mittens or anything."

He smirked, "And what's the _real_ reason?"

It would explain the thickness…but not the length.

She laughed, he knew her so well, "I was bored."

He laughed heartily at that.

~8~

1,200 Years Old…

The Doctor smiled as he moved his queen across an old chessboard, smiling as the Professor made a noise that he associated with him making a mistake, but laughed, knowing that _particular_ one was one she did to try and throw him off and make him _think_ he'd made a mistake. That chessboard, that old chessboard, it was _so_ old now, but looked just like new. He took remarkable care of it.

It was his first Christmas gift after all.

"What are you thinking of?" the Professor asked, moving her knight.

He reached out and took her hand, just looking at her softly, "Do you remember that teddy bear I gave you?"

She smiled, "Dr. Bear?" she asked him, nodding, "Of course."

He smiled, "This chess set…"

"I remember," she nodded.

He gently ran his thumb over her knuckles, "Our first Christmas."

"And definitely _not_ our last," she nodded, knowing he was also thinking about all the other gifts she'd given him over the years, that scarf, her fear of their friendship ending when he graduated.

"You know," he glanced at the set, moving a piece absently, not even really focused on the game any longer, probably having _really_ made a mistake that would lead her to win, "This set…this was the second best gift I'd ever gotten."

She smiled, knowing what his best gift was, her.

He looked up at her, "That Christmas Kata, when we rescued that loud ginger woman in her wedding dress…" good old Donna, "When we finally Bonded after so long…" he smiled, "That was truly the Best. Christmas. Ever. I don't think anything could _ever_ beat it."

She nodded, unable to find words to describe how much she agreed with that. There was only_ one_ thing she could think of that _might_ best that Christmas, this one...if that test she had running came back with a certain result she'd been praying for for so long.

She took a breath, moving her last piece, "Checkmate."

He laughed, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, "Shall we?" he nodded at the doors to the TARDIS.

She nodded, "Vastra said she had something important to tell us," she added, squeezing his hand as they stood, heading for the doors and stepping out onto the cloud they'd parked the TARDIS on.

A/N: Surprise, sort of a little tiny prequel to the prequel of the Christmas special that will be airing today (Yay!) :) Not sure if any time has passed since TATM, if the Doctor is still '1,200' as he claimed in Mercy, if it has, I'll change it to the proper age. This chapter will also relate to the Christmas special chapter when I post it, answer a tiny notion of the Professor's from this chapter. What the answer will be, I won't say. All I'll say is this...

Christmas gift announcement! Today I'll also be posting...

A new chapter of The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl.

TWO drabbles for Sneak Peeks (the second to be posted in a few hours).

And! The Woman, for my Sherlock story (Holmes Is Where the Heart Is).

AND! A surprise Supernatural chapter tagged onto the end of 'Heaven!'

Have I been busy or what? :)

Happy Holidays!

Next chapter: Y2K


	15. Y2K

Y2K (10/10)

The Doctor and Professor were sitting in the TARDIS, on the captain's chair, talking quietly about their latest adventure, helping a nice man named Jackson Lake stop a Cyberking, when the old box jolted, knocking them to the floor before the lights turned red and the klaxon began to blare.

"What happened?" the Doctor shouted as they ran to the console, him trying to calm the ship, the Professor to look up what was wrong.

She frowned, reading the symbols flying past the monitor, "We need to get to Earth!" she told him, hitting a button, "Now!"

"What's wrong?" he dashed to her side, his eyes widening as he spotted the warning message, the scanners picking up a very familiar energy reading. He quickly looked over at the Professor, seeing her expression harden before she pulled a lever, sending the box off.

~8~

"Alright," the Doctor nodded as they stepped out of the TARDIS, on Earth, New Year's Eve 1999, looking around, "Everything's fine…"

Everything appeared fine for now. It was night, but they were in the middle of London, watching as people gathered together, celebrating the upcoming New Year in pubs and small gatherings. Nothing seemed to be going wrong so far…

So far.

"What did the readings say again?" he looked at the Professor.

She just took the lead, striding down the roads, having looked up the layout of where the signal was coming from before they stepped out, "The same energy reading as when we faced the Wire," she told him, her jaw tensing.

She didn't have the fondest memories of that particular alien, that had been the first time she'd had to truly face a hostile alien by herself since she'd found the Doctor again. It was, admittedly both a traumatic experience as she'd had to not only face the alien but her fear of heights as well, but also a slightly therapeutic one, setting her on the path of overcoming her fear, if just a bit. She still didn't like the Wire though, she'd attacked the Doctor, so any one of her species was not on her good side.

She shook her head, getting back to the topic at hand. That was one thing that had come with Donna's humanity, her mind tended to wander a bit, not quite as militant and one-tracked as it had been, "Coming from somewhere in the middle of London, and growing stronger. Calculations indicate it will reach full power at midnight."

"The start of year 2000," he breathed.

This was exciting! He and the Professor never tried to actually be anywhere for holidays, well, except Christmas, they just loved the Earth on Christmas, but to be there right when it _happened_, by chance, it was brilliant!

"Y2K," the Professor corrected, recalling the warning messages on the TARDIS.

He asked, "What is that actually?"

She glanced at him, "It is a superstition of sorts among the humans that all the computers in the world will crash and reset themselves to 1900 when the clocks switch the date to 00 once more."

"Ah," he nodded, before frowning, "That energy reading," he began, thinking, "It's set to go off at midnight…you don't think..." he glanced at her.

She nodded, "Most likely."

He sighed, that energy signal seemed to be behind the Y2K myth, only right now it wasn't looking much like a myth, it looked like it really _would_ crash all the computers. It made sense, the Wire had feasted on humans watching the telly in the 1950s, because computers hadn't been around, people would just sit there mindlessly and watch their programs. But now, with the internet and computers, people weren't just turning their attention to the monitors, they were pouring their hearts and souls and minds into their use of the devices.

This energy would become much stronger than the Wire if they didn't stop it, cause much more damage, probably steal more than just the faces from its victims too.

"Well then," he grinned, taking her hand, "We'd best stop her then."

The Professor just smirked.

~8~

The Doctor walked with the Professor, holding her hand, down the busy streets of London, the sonic whirring in his other hand, no one the wiser of the strange alien device currently tracking a hostile alien as they focused on the other noises around them, the partying, the gatherings. To them, the strange whirring noise was just another noise maker, if a strange one.

He looked over when the Professor tugged on her thin jacket, wrapping it a little more around her and put his arm around her. He couldn't help but smile at the action. Not too long ago they'd been on the snowy planet of the Ood and she'd worn nothing more than her shirt and pants, yet here she was, feeling the cold. He'd realized when she'd been the soldier during their adventures with Donna, that she'd cut herself off from more than just her emotions, she'd cut herself off from feeling period. She hadn't felt warmth, cold, pain, she had shut it all down and locked it away. But now, thanks to Donna and her humanity, that lock had been broken and she could feel again. Not that he wanted her to get hypothermia from the cold, but he was just so relieved she could feel again.

"Thank you," she murmured, leaning on him more.

He beamed, "Not a problem," he opened his mouth to say more when the sonic beeped. He looked down at it and then over at the building they'd stepped in front of, "Well…" he blinked, "I was not expecting that…"

"Nor I," the Professor agreed as they stared at the closed florist's shop.

They were expecting a computer store of some sort, or a bigger business, somewhere that utilized the technology of the time to the fullest…not a_ flower_ shop.

"Well," the Doctor shrugged, "Beggers can't be choosers eh?"

She shook her head at him, glancing at Ben, the clock tower visible in the night, illuminated, they only had five minutes left, "Best get on with it," she muttered.

He stepped up to the front door and flashed the sonic across the lock, getting them in. It was a small little area, a counter, a small refrigerator to store some flowers, and a small table set up in the corner for some already made displays, but it was all empty for the night. They walked over to the back door, the only other door there that read 'Employees Only' and the Doctor tried the sonic again…only to frown when it didn't work.

"Now why would a florist need a deadlock?" he wondered.

The Professor eyed the door, resting her hand on it, scanning it herself, it was just typical wood, but with a deadlock. She shrugged, "We really don't have the time to find out," she remarked, before bracing herself and kicking the door in.

The Doctor let out a little whistle, he didn't think he'd _ever_ get used to that. This Professor was so small, lean, but small, it always surprised him to see just how much power and strength came with her new body.

"Come on," she called, taking the lead, her blaster out and ready as they stepped through.

The back room, quite unlike the store front, was packed with vegetation and flora of all kind…more than a typical florists.

The Doctor frowned and began scanning around as the Professor led the way, glancing at the results on the sonic, "That's odd," he muttered, "The plant life…it's broadcasting the same signal as the Wire was, all feeding towards the back."

The Professor nodded, "The Wire must have been from the planet Wroskid," she muttered, looking around, now more cautious. They had never figured out just where the Wire came from, quite a few other life forms able to do what she had done. But now it was looking more and more certain.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he realized why she was tensing so, powering up her blaster to cannon level. Wroskid was similar to a jungle planet only, instead of jungles, they were more flora, the native inhabitants being large carnivorous flowers. They could transfer their life energy to others of their kind, rose to rose, daisy to daisy and the like. With each transfer the host plant grew in strength and power…and if they were about to face one, one that had managed to survive a trip there in its physical body and not as a transfer of life energy like the Wire…they would need the bitty blaster at full power. It seemed a host plant had managed to base itself there, pollinating the other plants in the room to act in a similar manner as on its planet, sending it energy.

They had just pushed past a large bush when the Professor shoved him, tackling him to the side as a large vine-like tentacle shot out at them, knocking over a rather thick rose bush in the process, sending petals flying into the air.

"Stay down!" the Professor ordered him as she rolled to her feet, leaping to the side as another tentacle flung at her, before she disappeared into the shrubbery, the number of plants obscuring her from view. He flattened himself down, behind the potted plants and his eyes widened seeing the plant they were facing.

It was an Adria Duo, an enormous Venus Fly Trap with razor sharp teeth, growling and sputtering, its tentacles flying everywhere.

He whipped out the sonic and flashed it at the creature, hoping to either get a reading off it or distract it enough for the Professor to make her attack. The plant screeched as the sonic whirred and he quickly leapt to his feet, turning the pitch up. The plant flailed, the sound grating it, when the Professor jumped out past the hanging plants across from it and fired her blaster.

"Get down!" she shouted, hitting the deck…but he wasn't quite so fast…

As the blast hit the plant, the entire thing bulged before exploding, splattering him with a shower of green goo. He grimaced as he looked down at himself, before sighing.

The Professor smirked as she got up, dropping the tarp she'd managed to grab and pull over her in the process. She shook her head, walking over to him, "You should really learn to take orders from your superior officer," she told him.

He just gave her a look, before dashing forward and hugging her tightly, half-lifting her off the ground and swinging her side to side, getting the goo _all over_ _her_ before he set her down again.

He had to grin though when she made no move to either hit him or shake the goo off her, but just gave him a small smile, standing there, perfectly at ease, even when covered in the remains of an exploded killer flower. But that was his Kata, she never cared about her looks, as long as she was alive and he was alive she would never complain.

"So…" he beamed, "How's a killer flower supposed to suck the lives out of people using the internet?"

"Same way the internet does on its own," she told him, before pointing at the remains of the plant.

He walked over, whipping out his brainy specs, and examining the plant closer. He could see that one of the tentacles was firmly curled around a small computer set up beside it in the back of the room, the company's inventory, the monitor open to the internet with the website for the shop open, the date for a new sale flashing 'January the 1st, 1900.' He nodded, so _that_ was the plan. Reset the world's computers so everyone would flock to them, trying to work out what happened, and then use the internet that connected the computers together to latch onto them, sucking the life out of them.

That was rather clever...for a plant...

He glanced at the tentacle that was still faintly glowing as it clung to the computer. He sighed, reaching forward to pick up a small twig with blossoms on it to poke the tentacle with…only for the tentacle to stop glowing and drop to the floor, the plant now completely dead.

"Did you really just poke it with a stick?" the Professor asked.

"Why yes I did," he grinned cheekily at her and walked over to her, putting his arm around her as she put her blaster back, leading the way back out of the shop, past the flowers that were now wilting and out onto the street just as…

Ben went off twelve times, signaling the start of the New Year. They looked up as fireworks went off in the skies and smiled.

"Happy New Year Kata," he said softly.

She reached out and tugged on his tie, pulling him down to kiss him as was human tradition, "Happy New Year Theta."

He beamed as he pulled away, taking her hand, whistling merrily as they walked down the crowded streets towards the TARDIS, oblivious to some of the odd looks they got when the humans saw two people covered in green slime, with bits of leaves, twigs, and flowers sticking to them. They didn't care enough to notice, they'd just saved the world, it was already shaping up to be the start of a brilliant New Year.

A/N: I wish all of you a very happy new year, may our 50th anniversary of DW be epic lol :) This chapter was a little inspired by 'Little Shop of Horrors' :)

Just wanted to say, I've been focusing a lot on The Adventures of Spaceman and Timegirl, my other DW spin-off, wanting to update it to get to the 12 Days of Christmas, but now that it's passed, I'm going to be slowing down on that story so I can focus on _both_ spin-offs. I promise to get, at _the very least_, 2 chapters of this story up per month.

Tomorrow I will be posting my new OC series, The Heart of Time Saga, with its first story A Treasured Discovery.

And...I got a few PMs and reviews wondering about/suggesting videos for my stories. So...in the little time I have to spare before school starts, I'm going to be working on them. I plan to do one video for Supernatural, one for Sherlock and...one _each_ for _every_ Time Lady. Meaning I'll have one video for each incarnation of the Professor, Evy, and my new OC Angel, (starting when they appear in New Who) AND a background video of their lives on Gallifrey. Check my profile for a link to my new Youtube account. I've posted the background videos for the Academic Series and Lunar Cycle so far :) They're my first attempts ever at making videos so if they're completely awful, that's perfectly fine if you don't like them :)

I have also updated my profile to include a small section at the bottom of it for future stories I plan to write, but haven't gotten to yet.

I got quite a few requests about a chapter where someone tries to take the Professor from the Doctor. We're going to see that next :)

Next chapter: Hands _Off_ My Bonded


	16. Hands Off My Bonded

A/N: Possible tiny spoiler for Series 7, has a reference to what the Time Lords have been doing so it's not too bad :)

~8~

Hands _Off_ My Bonded (11/11)

The Professor shrieked with laughter as the Doctor splashed water at her. The TARDIS had taken them to a lovely little island somewhere on Earth that was uninhabited, a tropical, island paradise if ever there were one. Apparently the old box decided they needed a break. They'd been flying through the Universe, mostly on their own, picking up the Ponds here and there but altogether trying to give their human friends time to themselves to be a couple and have a life. Though they were loathe to admit it, it was _slightly_ nice with just the two of them…they didn't have to worry about who might walk in on them during their flirting or…other…activities. They just had to worry about the TARDIS but the old box, from what they'd gathered of Idris's words, tended to give them privacy during those moments.

But they'd been off on their own, trying to erase themselves from time and space, any record of the two of them gone. They'd sent out computer viruses, used memory devices, even went into the books of history in monastaries and crossed out their names from the pages of time. All to try and keep themselves and their Companions safe. Amy and Rory had suffered, Melody had suffered, because they were too big, too…feared.

They would_ not_ let that happen again.

They'd been hard at work though, these last few weeks, and the TARDIS had rebelled against them, taking them to this lovely little beach all to themselves. She'd actually shut the doors on them as they stood in the doorway and knocked them to their bums on the sand.

A hint if they had to guess.

At first they were a little cross, the safety of all their friends, their family, rested on their shoulders in doing what they were, but soon enough they allure of the beach had hit them, the privacy, the warmth and...the Doctor had to recall...the Professor in a swimsuit.

Yes, he'd nearly had dual heart attacks much like he had on Space Florida.

Only now, it was just _them_. No men ogling her, no crowds to escape from, no cameras in the sky watching them.

It was _perfect_.

They'd lounged around, they'd swum, they'd even managed a game of volleyball…which _he'd_ won! Though the Professor claimed he'd cheated. To which he'd asked her how on earth HE could possibly cheat against her? She'd just patted his chest and walked off, which made him smirk…it seemed she was just as affected by him in his swim trunks as he was by her in her bikini.

Yes, he would most certainly use that to his _full_ advantage as often as he could.

It wasn't often he found a new weakness of hers.

"It's not all that new you know," she called, hearing his last thought.

"What do you mean?" he looked up at her.

She moved through the water till she was just before him and put her arms around his neck, "YOU are my weakness," she told him, staring him in the eyes meaningfully, "I never care what happens to me, or even, to an extent, our Companions, I mean...I DO care. If I got hurt or if they got hurt, I'd care, but…I could push it aside to help them, I could ignore my own pain. But if YOU got hurt," she shook her had, tears welling in her eyes, "I'd be a mess…I'd be utterly useless or…" she swallowed hard, "I'd become the soldier again because some part of my mind would realize that I was being useless and force me not to feel anything at all just to…"

He quickly leaned forward and kissed her deeply, seeing her getting so upset at just the _thought_ of anything happening to him…it touched his hearts _so much_. He felt the same though, Rory had witnessed it first hand when Amy and the Professor had been taken by Kovarian. Rory'd witnessed just how dark the pit inside him was, it was always so small when the Professor was around because he was just always _so happy_ with her at his side. When she was gone from it…he would stop at _nothing_ to get it and her back. _Nothing_.

"I'm ok," he whispered as he pulled back, resting his forehead to hers, "I'm always ok," he nudged her, "I'm the King of…"

"Belgium?" she joked, smiling now.

"Only if you're my Queen," he told her.

"Always," she laughed, leaning in to kiss him.

To anyone else, their entire dialogue made no sense, how could he possibly calm her so with joking words about Belgium? But the two of them knew, they just had a way of communicating that worked, that fit so well with each other. They didn't even have to read each other's minds to know what the other was thinking most of the time, they could speak volumes with just a look, express so much with just a touch…such was the strength and depth of their love, a love the could not be broken or stopped by anything.

Unfortunately...that didn't mean people wouldn't ever try.

Quite a ways out in the ocean, a periscope sunk into the waters.

~8~

The Doctor and Professor were lying on the beach…well, the Professor was lying, on her stomach, her arms crossed with her chin resting on them as she watched the Doctor build a sandcastle. Well…sand_city_ actually. He'd started with a castle, but then declared that the king of the castle wouldn't be a king without knights and knights needed stables for their horses. So he'd built stables. Then he'd realized he hadn't given the knights any houses so he'd gone to build that. Then realized he'd forgotten the king's friends, so he'd built smaller manors popping up around for the nobles, with small little buildings for the peasants and serfs. And _then_ he realized he'd forgotten a church and had _just_ started to build that too, much to the Professor's amusement.

As she watched the small town rise from the sand, she glanced out at the water…and her eyes widened, "Theta!" she shouted, leaping up, "There's someone out there!"

He turned around to see her dashing to the water, trying to swim to a person bobbing in the distance, waving their arms, struggling to remain above the harsh waves. He quickly ran to the water and moved to join her, both of them swimming for the person they could see was a man.

The Professor, having had a head start, reached the man first…just as he sunk under the waters. She looked around a moment, hoping he'd pop back up once more but he didn't. She dove under the water, looking around but saw no sign of him. She frowned as she held her breath, _no one_ sunk_ that_ fast if they were still fighting…not even if they'd given up. She made it back to the surface just as the Doctor reached her.

"Go back!" she swam towards him, only to realize the waves were now flowing backwards, pulling her away from him, "It's a trap!"

"What?!" his eyes widened as he tried to swim towards her, not wanting to be separated, not knowing which of them the trap was for or if for both.

She reached out a hand as she felt something move around her leg and looked down through the clear water to see the water starting to swirl around her ankle, "It's got me!" she called, "It's a trap! Get out of here!"

"Not without you!" he struggled against the waves that now seemed to have separated, half pulling her away, half keeping him from following, "Kata!"

"Theta!" she shouted before she was sucked under the water.

He dove down, his eyes wide as he saw her struggling in the middle of what looked like a small tornado under the water, pulling her down further and further away from him. He swam as long as he could, his respiratory bypass helping him hold his breath longer, but the whirlpool was too fast, too strong.

She was gone.

He felt his hearts constrict painfully, and not from lack of air. His jaw tensed as his hands clenched into fists before he darted to the surface, making his way to the beach, for the TARDIS, ready to get his Bonded back.

~8~

The Professor struggled as hard as she could, but the whirlpool was too strong, it just kept pulling her down, the harder she struggled the stronger it became. Till she turned and looked over her shoulder, seeing a large underwater complex in the depths, lit up with a teal hue from the lights within. It looked like a set of spires with sort of glass domes on top of platforms, buildings within, connected by tunnels, with doors on the side that opened to the ocean.

An entire city, underwater.

The whirlpool was pulling her right to one of the doors, depositing her within it with such force that she slammed into the side wall, the room full of water. The door to the ocean shut quickly and a humming started as the water was sucked out through a vent in the floor, leaving her gasping and panting and coughing as she finally got air to her lungs.

She looked around, the room was more like a metal box with a large door on either side with a control panel, nothing there she could use as a weapon, her blaster back in their beach bag, wearing nothing but her swimsuit…

And then the other door opened.

Three men stepped in, an older man in teal and blue robes, a golden medallion with an odd symbol written on it, flanked by two stronger men dressed in what seemed like a cross between a skirt and shorts, teal, down to their knees, bare chested, barefooted, with teal tattoos on their bodies, each holding a staff, clearly the guard from how they held themselves.

She frowned, squinting at the medallion on the older man, and her eyes widened as she realized where she was.

"Oh you've GOT to be kidding me."

~8~

The Doctor ran around the console, soaking wet as the TARDIS turned on some heating fans, trying to dry him off, leaving him with the sense that she didn't want him to catch a cold. Such a mother she was. But he had little time to think on that as his mind was otherwise occupied with finding the Professor.

'_Theta!_' she called in his mind.

He nearly sagged to his knees in relief at hearing her again. He _knew_ she was ok, he _knew_ she was alive, their Bond told him that, but to _hear_ her communicating…it meant wherever she was didn't have psychic shielding, it meant he could track her down with the TARDIS, locate her, which he'd been doing just before at the monitor.

'_Kata,_' he breathed, '_Are you alright? What happened?_'

'_The whirlpool brought me to an underwater civilization,_' she told him, '_And you'll never guess which one._'

He frowned, thinking of quite a few, but none that he recalled reading or learning about on Earth that still existed around that time, '_Which?_'

'_Think, use that magnificent brain of yours,_' he smiled at that, '_What is the only water-based civilization on Earth that was lost in the Atlantic ocean?_'

His eyes widened, '_You're kidding me._'

'_My thoughts exactly._'

'_Atlantis?_'

He could almost feel her nodding in his mind as he sunk back onto the jump seat, '_Atlantis._'

'_It's _still_ there?_' he wondered, how many times had he visited it only for it to be destroyed? He'd probably visited three Atlantises by then.

'_Outcroppings of it must have survived, spread across the ocean floor in order to ensure the survival of the civilization,_' she remarked.

He nodded, that made sense, if only the Time Lords had thought that far ahead, but alas, their people were far too arrogant and prideful to believe they'd lose the war.

He sighed, rubbing his head, '_Do you know why they've taken you?_'

It was quite clear from how the waves were keeping them apart that they'd only wanted the Professor for some reason.

'_I've no idea,_' she sighed, '_We didn't call ourselves Doctor or Professor so I doubt they need my expertise…_' she trailed off.

'_What?_' he stiffened, hoping nothing had happened, '_What is it? Kata!_'

'_Calm down Theta,_' she laughed, '_They were talking, they want me to follow them somewhere, meet someone._'

'_Who?_'

'_Well, I would have heard them if you weren't shouting at me,_' she said lightly, jokingly, '_I'll go and see what they want, if anything terrible happens, you can pop in with the TARDIS and rescue me. You know how much I love it when you do that, save me and all._'

He smiled again, '_I love it when you do that to me, you and your blaster…_' he smirked, almost feeling her blush at where his thoughts were going, '_But I'd rather pop in now…_'

'_Then do. Knowing you Theta, you'll end up on the other end of the base anyway and I know you love to explore new places…_'

'_Not when your life might be on the line,_' he cut in, '_As you said before Kata, YOU are my weakness. I won't let them keep you from me. I'll find you, I promised I would. I promised I'd always find you, I'd always come back to you._'

'_And I have no doubts you will,_' she agreed, '_So come on then, you make your way to me while I work out what's going on._'

He nodded, '_I'll see you soon._'

'_I know you will,_' she agreed. For all his terrible piloting, when it came to her, he would stop at nothing to get to her again.

He smiled, '_I love you Kata._'

'_I love you too Theta._'

He nodded, rushing to the console again, '_Stay safe till I get there._'

'_I'm always safe, I'm not you, you know,_' she laughed as he pulled a lever and sent the TARDIS off, this version of her was almost exactly like him.

~8~

The Professor nodded to herself, making it seem like she was just considering the words of the men before her, before she stood. She took a step towards the old man, to follow him, when the two men stepped past him, moving to grab her arms. She raised an eyebrow at that before rolling her eyes. She moved her right foot behind the left leg of the man to her right and kicked it forward, knocking the man's leg out from under him, sending him to his knees. She used the force of his fall to twist her arm out of the other man's hold, falling backwards onto the first man's back and kicking out, hitting the second man in the chest, sending him flying into the door, before she rolled off the first man, grabbing the staff he'd dropped and whacking him on the back of the head with it before turning to swing at the second man as he ran at her, winded, slamming it across his face. She looked at the two burly men now lying on the ground, unconscious, before snapping the staff over her knee and dropping the pieces to the floor, brushing her hands together before she turned to the old man, an elder, who was staring at her with wide eyes, shocked at her fighting skills.

"That was rude," she told the man simply, "If you want me to go with you, you simply had to ask. No force necessary."

He stared at the men on the ground.

"That is, of course, unless you use force against me first," she added, a slight hint of a threat in her voice, before she smiled, "Now, shall we get this over with? I'd quite like to get back to my Bonded before he arrives," she walked past the man to the door, "He's quite impatient when it comes to me."

She smirked as the man quickly opened the door and hurried down the hall, leaving the two men in the airlock, well that certainly put a fire in his step. All the sooner for her to get back to the Doctor.

~8~

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS as it, as the Professor had guessed, materialized on the other side of the base. Though now he had a better guess that this was the safest spot for him to appear in, the one least likely to be monitored so he could get in easier, face less trouble on his quest to find the Professor. He patted the side of the doorframe, "Thanks mum," he joked, before he closed the doors behind him.

He paused, laughing to himself as he sensed what the Professor had done, "Well done dear," he nodded, pleased.

He knew it wasn't that the men had tried to restrain her that irritated her.

It was that they'd touched her.

Only HE was allowed to do that. Him or their friends.

He grinned and moved on, flashing the sonic at a door and stepping into the hallway beyond, more like a tunnel with glass sides and top through which he could see a number of fish swimming around and the other areas of the city.

Best be careful, he realized, if he was caught now he wouldn't be able to help the Professor should she need it.

He needed a disguise!

~8~

The elder opened a rather advanced door to a large room, it looked almost ancient compared to the high tech of the halls and other rooms she'd seen. It was made of a sandy stone, with some palm-like plants around, vines, trees, a small waterfall off to the side that seemed to flow right into the ocean. There was a teal cloth that ran from the doors to the middle of the room and right up to a platform of stone a few steps high that had a magnificent golden thrown with blue cushions on it.

The Professor stopped, her eyes narrowing at the man sitting on the thrown. He was a young man, roughly late Earth 20s, early 30s, tanned. He had a number of teal tattoos on his right arm and left leg, dotted across his chest, on one side of his face. His eyes were a shocking blue, made to stand out with his tanned appearance, muscular, wearing only the skirt/shorts that the guards had worn and a blue vest, but with a golden belt/sash and three medallions on his neck, an arm band, some rings, and a golden band around his wrist. His hair was black, wet and slicked back as though he'd just gone for a swim, which she knew he had.

Clearly this was the king and he had been the man she'd seen 'drowning' before.

Now, knowing it was a trap, she was less inclined to show the man any sense of kindness till he told her why he'd basically kidnapped her. If he needed help, that would be one thing, easier to forgive, anything else though…well…she'd already proved she DIDN'T need her blaster to make an impression.

"My Lord," the old man moved before the thrown and knelt down, bowing his head, "I have brought her to you as requested."

"It took quite a while," the young man stared the old one down, as though displeased.

"Many apologies My Lord," the man bowed his head more, making the Professor frown, "She fought quite hard against the transport."

"Did she now?" the king looked at the Professor, before standing and slowly making his way down the steps towards her, passing the bowed man, not even giving him permission to rise. He stepped up to the Professor, who tensed, before he eyed her critically, making to walk around her, eyeing her up and down, nodding to himself, "She is perfect."

"Funny," she remarked dryly, "My Bonded says much the same."

'_Because you are,_' she heard him in her mind, though she couldn't smile as the king had walked before her again.

He reached out and took her hand, "You shall make the perfect bride," he added, kissing her hand as her eyes widened.

~8~

The Doctor stopped in the middle of the hall, just stepping out of another room, his eyes wide, "You've GOT to be kidding me!" he muttered, before his hand clenched into fists at his sides once more.

NO ONE was going to claim the Professor as their bride but _him_, which he'd already done, centuries ago.

He turned a corner, peeking around it to see a guard in a long hooded robe on duty outside a room, just standing there.

He didn't even bother to hide or wait or think or plan, simply walked around it, right up to the guard. He tapped him on the shoulder, throwing a hefty punch right across the man's face as he turned, knocking him out.

Not even apologizing, he knelt down and grabbed the man's robe, he needed to get to the Professor, _now_.

Though he _did_ stop rather suddenly a moment later, laughing, "We certainly are a pair, aren't we?"

He pulled out the sonic and flashed it around, smirking as it started to buzz quickly, heading off in that direction, he had some wires to play with.

~8~

"My Lord!" the old man shouted as he leapt to his feet, rushing to the king's side as the man stumbled back, grabbing his nose as it gushed blood, "You dare lay a hand on King Milos?!"

"Touch me again and I'll break more than just your nose!" the Professor glared at Milos, ignoring the elder.

Milos though just smirked, straightening, "My queen must have a fight in her," he dove towards her, about to kiss her on the lips, when she reached out with her left arm and wrapped her arm around his neck, shoving it to the side and under her arm as she locked him in a headlock, she squeezed as the man struggled, not about to kill him but wanting him weakened.

"Unhand him!" the old man ran at her.

She rolled her eyes, she'd have_ thought_ he'd learn from what she'd done to the men half his age and twice his size. So she braced herself and kicked him in the stomach, winding him as he fell backwards, groaning. Milos struggled a little more so she squeezed tighter till he started to go limp.

She let him go abruptly, falling to the floor, gasping for air, completely floored that the woman had bested him, the best warrior of his people, their king, the god among men, so easily.

She turned and ran for the door…

"One more step and he shall die!" Milos shouted, his voice gravelly as he tried to speak.

"Who?" she tensed, stopping, just KNOWING who.

"Your lover," the man replied, smirking as he saw her stop entirely, freezing, "Did you think I was not watching?" he asked her, pushing himself to his knees, "That I did not hear?" he turned and pressed a button on his golden wristlet, a projection springing to life on the waterfall, of the Doctor making his way through the halls still in his swim trunks, the sonic out, creeping quietly down one hall, pausing at the corner to peer around it, ducking back quickly, before continuing on.

"Did you think we were not aware when he arrived?" Milos scoffed, "As though I would allow my bride to be whisked away by another," the Professor just watched the projection closely as the king stepped closer to her, "I can have my guards easily track him and strike him down should you make another move to flee," he smiled, leaning forward to sniff her damp hair, "Try to escape and he dies," he reached out to touch her hair, to brush it away from her neck when she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly till he hissed before she snapped it up quickly, breaking his wrist.

He stumbled back, gripping his wrist in pain as he glared at her, fight yes, injury no. _This_ wouldn't do. His queen must be spirited, but _obedient_. He strode forward, about to strike her, when she laughed, "Touch me again and I will tear your arm off."

He lowered his arm, glowering, seeing the elder nodding behind him, she most likely could, "Call the council!" he ordered the elder who scurried off to a small intercom on the wall.

"What for?" the Professor scoffed.

"We shall wed, _now_," the man remarked, wiping at his nose once more, before gesturing at the projection, "Or your beloved shall die."

The Professor just smirked at the image, the Doctor ducking back behind a wall before dashing off past it.

"I'd like to see you try to kill him," she crossed her arm, not even bothered when a mass of people, women, men, and children, began to enter the room, "So many people have tried and failed," she laughed a little, "I even tried it once, though I didn't exactly put my best effort into it you could imagine..."

"Enough," he cut in, grabbing her arm, pointing warningly at her, "Hit me again and you BOTH shall die."

She rolled her eyes, doubting it, before allowing herself to be pulled up to a robed figure, cloaked in a teal robe with a hood, dark blue swirls and patterns all over it, standing on the first step of the stairs to the platform throne, his hands clasped before him, head bowed, barefoot.

The Professor glanced down at the man's feet for a moment before smirking, pulling her arm out of the king's grip and walking right up to the stairs herself, "Well," she called, mockingly gesturing the man over to stand before her, "Let's get this over with."

Milos eyed her a moment before moving to stand across from her, starting to smirk, "I am glad you have seen the light," he took her hand this time.

She just scoffed silently at that.

The king turned to the high priest, "Begin."

The man gave a nod to the king before speaking, his voice hoarse, deep, old, "We have come before the gods of old to join our blessed king to this woman. I shall give the ancient blessings unless cause be given why this union must not occur..."

Milos turned and, rather _maturely_, glared at the rest of the council who had been called as witnesses, before smiling at the priest, "Continue."

"Actually..." the Professor cut in, "I believe your priest himself may take issue with this union."

"Oh?" Milos laughed, causing chuckles among the council as he turned to the priest, "Is that so? What do you have to say to that?"

"I say…" the priest spoke, his voice quite different, "Hands off MY Bonded," the 'priest' threw off his hood to reveal the Doctor, who jumped off the step and in front of the Professor, standing before her like a shield as Milos stumbled back in shock, "Now," he clapped his hands, smiling at the king in a manner that did _not_ seem kind at all, "Care to explain what you were thinking in taking MY _wife_ from me?" he stepped closer, "You couldn't have been thinking much," he eyed the man as the king stumbled back, seeming to sense the raw power and fury hiding just beneath the surface of the Doctor's 'calm' persona, "You couldn't have been thinking that I'd come for her," another step, "Or that I'd stop at nothing to get her back and believe me there is _no_ end to what I would do to accomplish that," and another, "And you certainly weren't thinking of your people," his eyes started to narrow as he took another step, backing the man up against a pillar, "Because, let me tell you, if you HAD been thinking of your people…you'd realize, it's awfully hard for a monarchy to succeed _without_ a_ king_!"

Milos glared at that threat, seeming to recall his position, his own power, he reached out and shoved the Doctor back, "You dare threaten _me_ boy?!"

The Doctor let out a dark laugh, glancing back at the Professor, who was just smirking and shaking her head at the king, "Boy?" he asked her, before turning suddenly and grabbing the man by the edges of his vest, shoving him against the pillar with enough force that the people around them swore they heard a crack, "You dare call ME a BOY?" he mocked, "Let me tell _you_ something, BOY," he glared, "I am older than you could _possibly_ imagine. I have seen creatures more deadly than you could dream in your _worst nightmares_. I have fought in a war more bloody and savage than _any_ that have ever been fought or will be fought. I have done things, such terrible things that the mere _mention_ of it would make you tremble. There are peoples out among the stars that would build _armies_ against me. And you want to know something else?"

Milos just swallowed hard, clearly _not_ expecting anyone to defy him so openly. He'd wondered why none of his guards had come to his aid, only to see the Professor was glaring at them, tense, clearly word had spread of what she'd done to the two other guards in mere moments…and she was his proclaimed bride, the queen-to-be, untouchable, and she was _not_ about to let _them_ interfere.

"Do you?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Milos looked back at him, giving him a short nod, anything to get the man to let him go.

The Doctor smirked, "My wife," he looked over his shoulder at her, smiling softly as he eyed her a moment, before turning his hardened gaze back to the king, "Is _much_ more feared than me."

The Professor gave him a small smirk and a little wave, "Hello."

The Doctor looked the man in the eye, searching for something before laughing, "You truly_ are_ lucky that I came to get her back…had I left you to her…" he shook his head, "Well…you'd never have survived 'saying hello.'"

And with that, he shoved the king back and strode over to the Professor.

Milos glared, rubbing his throat a moment before pushing himself off the wall and rushing at the Doctor, fully intent on attacking him while his back was turned.

When the Professor reached into the Doctor's robe and pulled out a glowing glass object with a golden hue.

Milos stopped in his tracks, backing away with his hands held up, his eye on the crystal bit, the last remaining fragment of the Crystal of Kronos. It did not contain the Chronovore himself, but remnants of his lingering power, enough to sustain their civilization. It was their power source, it was their life essence, the foundation of their civilization. To lose that…it would doom them all.

"Ah, ah, ah," the Professor shook her finger at them, holding the fragment in her other hand.

"H…how…" Milos shook his head.

The Doctor just nodded at the projection still playing on the waterfall…him _still_ wandering the halls, ducking back behind a corner, dashing down another one, the same corridor over and over, "I've learned quite a bit about making plans from my beautiful Bonded," he smiled at the Professor.

Though he hated using them, he could, when the occasion really called for it, think of one.

And here, with the Professor's safety at stake, he was _not_ about to risk anything to chance.

He pulled out the sonic and flashed the projection, changing it. They watched as he took out the guard, stealing his robe, before rushing down a hall with the sonic, entering a command room. He flashed the sonic on the panels, monitoring the halls, taking a clip of when he'd first gone out of the TARDIS and setting it on a loop before he donned the robe and ran through the halls, following the sonic right to the sealed vault where the fragment had been stored, no guard needed as their people knew the sanctity of the artifact, simply locked, thick doors…nothing a sonic couldn't get through though. He'd nabbed the fragment and rushed off, right to the throne room, sneaking in with the rest of the council under the guise of the old priest.

And there they were.

"We can read each other's minds you dunce," the Professor added to Milos, tossing the fragment in her hand and catching it, making the entire room gasp with each toss, "I knew he was here, that he was coming for me, and exactly what he was up to," she eyed the king, "Why do you think I didn't kill you?" she tossed the Doctor the fragment, "I knew he'd like the pleasure himself."

The Doctor eyed the king, then the people beside him, people who relied on the man to guide them, looking at their king in fear, and sighed. He could not doom the many for the mistake of one. He reached out to take the Professor's hand, "I hold in my hand," he held up the fragment, "The last source of power for the last remnant of Atlantis," he looked around, before turning to the king, "I will make you this offer, and I'd suggest you _take it_," he added with a hint of threat. He walked over to the king who moved onto his knees, a sign of begging for mercy among their people. He held out the fragment, "I shall give you this…" Milos reached for it, but the Doctor pulled it back, "IF," he cut in, "You let US," he gestured between him and the Professor, "Leave here in peace," he eyed the man, before holding out the fragment, "Do we have a deal?"

Milos slowly reached out and took the fragment, cradling it in his hand as he slowly moved to his feet…

"Seize them!" he shouted, backing up with the fragment as he pointed at the Doctor and Professor.

"Should have known _that_ was coming," the Professor remarked to the Doctor as he ran for the door, pulling her with him.

"Was worth a shot," he countered, flashing the sonic on the closed doors and running with her down the hallway.

The Professor laughed, hearing the guards running behind them, "Gotta love the running!"

"No fun without it!" he agreed.

They ran around a corner, the Professor grabbing his arm to pull him to the side, leading him back the way she'd been led, to the airlock that led to the ocean. She turned and snatched the sonic out of his hands, flashing the door as they ran through it, closing it behind them and sealing them in just before the guards reached them.

The Doctor looked around as the guards pounded on the doors, "Bit trapped," he smiled.

"Oh never say that," she laughed, already at work at the controls to the second door, she flashed a panel off, ripping a wire out, "Always inconveniently circumstanced."

He took her hand as the doors flew open, the water from outside pouring in, a whirlpool starting, sucking the two of them out and right into the ocean beyond. She'd fried the controls, reversing the last 'transport' and locking the doors so they couldn't be followed that way. They remained as still as they could, holding tightly to each other as the whirlpool pushed them to the surface, back where the Professor had first been sucked down.

The Doctor laughed, pulling her closer to him as they broke through the water, kissing her soundly in delight that they'd survived, that they'd come back, that they were together again. He felt his hearts finally slow from the rapid tattoo they'd been beating in his chest from the moment she'd been pulled away from him.

She was back, she was safe, with him once more, and that was all he ever needed to know.

He'd once told Rose that he would rather die than live an ordinary life as a human.

That wasn't entirely true any longer.

As long as he had the Professor, _any_ life would be the one he wanted as long as she was there beside him. As he had told _her_ once, centuries ago, on their planet, a life_ without_ her wasn't one he wanted to live.

He pulled away, resting his head to hers before she laughed, "Come on," she nodded towards the beach, spotting the TARDIS back on the sand, the Doctor having programmed the old box to make her way back to the last place she touched down upon them being removed from the underwater base.

They turned and started to swim off, back towards the beach.

"How did you know?" he called beside her, "That it was me, the priest?"

She smiled, "You were barefoot," she said, as though it explained everything.

"And?"

"You have very wide feet," she laughed, recalling their little incident with the Gangers.

He laughed heartily at that as they reached the beach, moving to help her up and back onto it, both of them keen to move on and get away from the island lest the Atlantians send up an attack force or something.

The Professor sighed as they gathered up their belongings, "What is it?" he asked, frowning, as he turned to her.

"Do you remember how the last you thought that suit of his was bad luck?" she closed the umbrella.

"What about it?" he shook his head, putting their bag over his shoulder as he closed the small cooler they'd brought.

The Professor rolled her eyes at him and rolled up the blankets, turning to head to the TARDIS with the umbrella as he carried the cooler and bag, "Well…I'm starting to think this suit," she gestured at her bikini, "Is bad luck as well. I'm considering not wearing it anymore."

He pouted at that, watching as she unlocked the TARDIS, "What would you wear instead then?"

She gave him a suggestive smile, stepping into the TARDIS, "Nothing," she called over her shoulder.

He stopped in his tracks, his mouth open, eyes wide, hearts stopped, the bag and cooler falling off his shoulders as he dropped them in shock.

A few moments later, the Professor, sans umbrella and towels, peeked her head back out of the doors, "Are you coming love?"

He just stared at her and blinked, then blinked again, "I think you really _did_ kill me this time dear," he murmured, recalling the words he'd said to her in Space Florida.

She smiled, moving out of the doors to put her arms over his neck, "Well then, let's see if I can't restart your hearts…" she leaned in and kissed him deeply.

He let out a breath, feeling his hearts start racing, even more than they were at her words, as he wound his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He could feel her smiling against his lips as she let her hands drift to his shoulders, to his chest, then around his waist…till they hooked into the edge of his swim trunks.

He gave a little groan at that, pulling her closer as she tugged him towards the TARDIS. With what little of his mind he had left to think with, he managed to snag his foot through the strap of their bag, half-dragging it through the sand and into the TARDIS after them.

Her blaster was in that bag…and he was not about to leave that behind…nor was he about to stop the delightful reminder she was giving him that she was HIS, HIS wife, HIS Bonded, forever.

Yes, people wouldn't ever stop trying to pull them apart.

But they would never, _ever_ let go in the first place.

They had been holding onto each other since they were children after all.

The TARDIS gave a gentle hum, piloting herself into the Vortex as her thief and flora found themselves otherwise occupied.

A/N: I hope you liked this little chapter :) There were SO many ways I could have taken the idea of someone trying to take the Professor away from the Doctor, who knows, I may revisit the idea later on :) But I was trying to think of a time and place and person and a commercial was on for some Atlantis resort and I was like, why not?

I know the Doctor's gone to Atlantis in Classic Who so I looked up just a bit about it. The Crystal of Chronus was some sort of object that held a choronovore (not entirely sure what that is) in it that was the source of Atlantis's thriving. Eventually the Master (of course) gets involved and we end up with a destroyed Atlantis eventually. I sort of took a little bit of the Crystal idea here. Hope it fits alright :)

I'm going to be setting a schedule for my spin-offs. On the 7th/8th of each month I will post a chapter of TAOSAT (the LJ adventures) from now on. Then, the 14th/15th I will post a chapter of Recollections. The 21st/22nd will be TAOSAT, and the 30th/31st (28th for February) will be Recollections. Just so you know when a new chapter is coming :)

Next chapter: My Mate Ben


	17. My Mate Ben

My Mate Ben (10/9)

Colonial America.

It was a first for Rose, not quite so for the Professor or the Doctor, both of them having gone there during trips in the Academy, the Professor may have accidently influenced the creation of the American Flag by telling Betsy Ross she loved the stars and stripes as opposed to the blocks of color and diamonds. But, then again, the Doctor had been responsible for 'the shot heard 'round the world' that had sparked the American Revolution…he'd accidently tripped while they'd been watching it and knocked over a pistol lying on a side table in a house which went off when it fell and officially kicked that whole incident off...their teacher had not been impressed.

They'd both gotten a bit of a laugh thinking back on it, Rose looked less than pleased with their memories but trying to seem like she was enthusiastic about it for the Doctor's sake. They'd just come from the parallel Earth and Rose was really trying to make an effort to be kinder to the Professor, less hostile. The girl claimed that she didn't want to get in the way of her and the Doctor, had promised she wouldn't. She wasn't too sure if the Professor was being truthful, who in their right mind would give up the Doctor? But still…she should at least give the girl the benefit of the doubt about it all.

The Professor laughed, looking down as she just walked with her arms crossed, more casually than in her typical manner, which made the Doctor beam, he'd been hoping to cheer her up a little since Mickey left, trying to come up with an adventure that would remind her of good times, like this trip. It was their first trip together in the Academy for a class. As soon as she'd turned 10 she had been allowed to pick her own classes and they'd gone about picking all the same classes, as much as they could, and this, colonial America, had been their first school trip together.

His hands though, were in his pockets, seemingly as casual as her, but that wouldn't be the case at all. He'd been _dying_ to take her hand, to walk with her hand-in-hand as they had always done on their planet, but…she seemed a bit distant. He knew that she and Rose had had more than their fair share of words since she'd started travelling with them, of course he knew, he wasn't an idiot. He knew Rose was hostile towards the girl for some reason and that the Professor was going out of her way to keep a distance from Rose, but he really didn't want to get involved, no, that was a lie. He COULDN'T get involved. He wanted nothing more than for his best friend and his Companion to get along but he knew enough about women, at least from Mayra, to know that defending either of them would hurt the other and he didn't want that. Defend Rose, hurt the Professor and she'd go right back to Sarah Jane, he knew she would, she'd practically nearly begged him to leave her on Earth after they'd gone to check on Jackie for Rose. And he couldn't' do that, he couldn't be alone, the last Time Lord, in the TARDIS again. But…defend the Professor and Rose would get upset, and Rose HAD done so much for him during their travels. She'd…healed him from the war, helped him regenerate into the man he was now, a man he wanted the Professor to see, not who he was before. He'd feel terribly guilty if Rose left because it would be like throwing everything she'd helped him through back at her.

They seemed to be doing alright now, Rose had been less snide but the Professor had grown more distant of him and he didn't know why.

It hurt.

He shook his head though, it would all work itself out in the end. He had to believe that otherwise he'd probably go mad trying to work out why they were at odds with each other.

The Professor smiled and nudged him, nodding up at a lamppost she had touched, "The first four-sided lamppost," she murmured.

He beamed, the two of them stopping to look at it while Rose paused, frowning, not really seeing what was so great about it. It was a four-sided lamppost, glass panes, a bit of space at the bottom to help filter the air.

"It's just a candle," she remarked, nodding at the unlit candle at the top of it.

"Ah but don't you see," the Doctor grinned at her, "This is just the start of it! First a candle, then the electric light bulb, then LEDs and more! You can use a candle indoors just fine, no worries about it going out if the windows are shut, but out here," he threw his arms wide, "You've got rain and sleet and snow and wind, you need something more to keep it safe besides glass. This will be what drives humanity to evolve!"

Rose stared at him, incredulous, not really believing a simple lamppost could do that.

"Actually Doctor," the Professor cut in, smiling a bit, "I meant it's the FIRST four-sided lamppost," she emphasized, "As in, just created, as in the inventor is still alive, as in…"

His eyes widened, "Benjamin Franklin!" he giggled a bit, starting to hop up and down in his excitement, "Can we go meet him? Can we?!"

She laughed, "_You're_ the one with the box," she pointed out, "That's up to you," her smile softened, "Where you go, I go."

He smiled gently at her too, Rose looking between them, starting to feel a familiar irritation rising up inside her, "So let's go then!" she cut in, forcing a smile as she reached out and took the Doctor's arm, "Where's he anyway?" she looked around as she tugged him on.

The Professor blinked and looked down a moment before shaking her head and following them, coming around to the Doctor's side but her arms still crossed.

"Should be around here somewhere," the Doctor peered around as well, "Oh I can't wait to see what he's working on now!"

"Electricity," the Professor commented, not sounding remotely like she was guessing.

"And how do you know?" Rose asked, trying not to sound condescending.

The Professor glanced over before looking away.

The Doctor stepped away from Rose and over to the Professor, taking her hands so she'd look at him, "How'd you work it out?" she shrugged, "No," he shook his head, "You worked it out, you_ thought_ of it," he smiled at her, his thumb absently stroking her knuckles, trying to calm her, "You can do it."

She blinked as she looked at him before taking a breath, he was right, she'd already 'thought' of it, she just had to explain it, think slower. She pulled her hands away slowly, pointing up "Graying sky," she murmured, before inhaling, "The smell of rain," she paused, listening, "Thunder a fair distance away but still heading here," she shook her head, "And Benjamin Franklin?" she shrugged, "Perfect conditions for flying a kite."

Rose lifted an eyebrow at that, it was the _worst_ conditions to fly a kite in, but the Doctor was beaming proudly, "Brilliant!" he told her, hugging her quickly before putting his arm around her shoulder nonchalantly, not seeming to notice Rose's narrowing gaze, "Benjamin Franklin experimented with electricity by flying a kite in the middle of a storm," he explained to Rose, speaking quickly, "He tied a metal key to the string and when the lightning struck the kite it travelled down the length of the string to the key and proved the existence of electricity in lightning along with the fact that metal is a conductor."

Rose blinked, staring at him a moment, trying to keep up.

"Oh I can't wait to meet him," he cheered before turning to head off, "Come on!"

~8~

They had wandered a fair bit, wasted most of the day actually, the Doctor insisting on checking the post office, knowing Franklin would be made the Post Master sometime soon, then the fire station, which Franklin had invented, the local crafters that specialized in making the famous Franklin Stove, and even the local hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, the first one founded by Franklin in America but they'd had no luck.

Till the Professor suggested why not try the printing press? Franklin owned his own, the Pennsylvania Gazette, so someone there might know where he was at. He'd embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck for not thinking of that to which she'd given him a small smile and said even _not _thinking she could still think faster than him, which he'd laughed at. A sense of humor, just what she needed to pull through.

So there they were, wandering through the busy printing press, searching for whoever was in charge when Franklin wasn't, for clearly the man wasn't there.

"Hello?" a young man called, spotting them standing there. He gave their clothes a confused look before shaking his head, "Can I help you?"

"Ah yes, thanks," the Doctor smiled.

"Oh," the man offered a smile as well, "British."

"Visiting family," the Professor cut in, knowing that relations between Great Britain and America were tense at best during this period.

"Right, what can I help you with?"

"We're looking for the owner of this fine establishment," the Doctor pulled out his psychic paper, holding it up, "I'm trying to improve some things back home and I'd love to get the chance to see how it's done here."

The man smiled, pleased with that, "Oh, he's at home today, just head out," he pointed to the door, "Go left to the end of the road and make a right. It's the fourth house down, can't miss it."

"Thanks," Rose beamed, excited, despite the situation, to meet a historical figure.

"Right then," the Doctor nodded, half-jogging to the door, eager, "Let's go!"

He dashed out, Rose after him, the Professor following at a slower pace, just knowing the Doctor was probably going to get the directions wrong, like he always did.

And sure enough, he stepped outside and turned right, half-running down the road.

"Wrong way Doctor!" she called.

He stopped suddenly and turned around, sheepish, "Right!" and took off in the other direction, grabbing her hand as he passed to tug her along, not seeming to notice Rose glowering behind them.

~8~

Mrs. Franklin was so lovely, not at all disturbed by the Doctor's mad knocking at her door or eager request to see her husband. She'd just laughed, seeming to recognize a fellow inventor, and led them into her home and right to Franklin's work space, crowded with all sorts of odds and ends, drawings and ideas on the wall for new inventions and theories. And there he was, the man himself, slightly bald, with spectacles on his nose, hunched over a table with what looked like a large sheet lying there with an X across it, carefully folding the edges over a piece of string that was connected to the ends of the X.

"May want to use water resistant glue," the Doctor called, making Franklin jump.

"Too early," the Professor murmured to him, making him wince. That substance that made it resistant hadn't quite been discovered yet.

"Oh, hello!" Franklin greeted, "Um, who might you be?"

"I'm Rose!" Rose said quickly, beaming as she stared at the famous figure. Even for an American, he had made so many contributions to science and to life. Her nana always used to praise Franklin for the bifocals she'd had to wear.

"The Professor," the Doctor nodded to her, before pointing to himself, "And I'm the Doctor."

Franklin laughed jovially, "I don't believe I'm in need of either, especially not a doctor. I take an apple every day."

Rose frowned, looking confused by that.

"'An apple a day keeps the doctor away,'" the Doctor recited a famous quote, an old proverb, Franklin had published in one of his books.

"That it does," Franklin nodded, "Fit as a fiddle I am."

The Professor smiled, unable to help thinking about her own little rhyme, 'But if the Doctor is cute, forget the fruit.'

"Which'll come in handy tonight I'd guess?" the Doctor supplied, "Can't go catching a cold in the middle of experiments eh?"

Franklin laughed, nodding, it was quite common knowledge around town the experiment he intended to do, "I say, you said you were a professor?" he looked at the Doctor, not seeming to have noticed his nod to the Professor earlier.

"Yes," the Professor cut in, seeing the Doctor about to argue, "He's a professor of science," she added. Women at that time were nowhere near allowed the education that would earn them the title of professor, Franklin would never believe she was one.

"My kind of man," Franklin smiled, "Would you be interested in observing one of my own?"

The Doctor couldn't help but beam at that, Franklin was turning out to be the most hospitable historical figure they'd met yet. He hadn't even had to fish for the psychic paper! "Oh I'd love it! We all would yeah?" he looked at the Professor and Rose who both nodded.

Franklin opened his mouth to reply when there was a boom above them and the house shook a bit, "Excellent," Franklin turned back to his kite, pressing down the last edge, "The storm's arrived!"

~8~

Rose was squinting, trying to see what was going on through the downpour. Franklin had set up a wooden stick out in an open field, tied the bottom of the kite string to it, a metal key tied about a foot or two up the rope, the kite whizzing about like mad in the winds. They were stationed a safe distance away, in a small shack/hut area that Franklin had set up to protect them from the elements. It was rather cramped, he hadn't been expecting three others to join him, but they managed.

"Is it working?" Rose shouted over the booms of thunder and the claps of lightning. She could barely make out the white kite in the darkness.

"I think so!" the Doctor called back.

"Just a bit more time," Franklin told them, "We must wait for the lightning to be right over it!"

The Professor though, just squinted, holding her hand over her eyes to kept the wind and slight bit of rain out of it, "I don't think…" she began, before pausing.

The Doctor turned to her, "What?"

"It's not going to work!" she told him.

"What isn't?" Rose asked.

She pointed, "The stick's coming undone!" she told them and they could see, just barely make out the stick starting to shift in the wind, slowly lifting out of the ground. Any second now it would come fully un-lodged and the kite would be lost.

The Professor bolted out from under the cover, ignoring the Doctor's shouts after her. She knew what had to happen. It was June the 15th, 1752, the day that Franklin's experiment happened. It had to happen on that day in this place at that time. There was no telling what would happen if he failed to learn what he did at that point, who else would make the discovery first, what could change if he wasn't responsible for it. It had to happen…

She grabbed the stick, struggling to push it into the too soggy ground when a fierce blast of wind hit her, causing her to stumble, half-blinding from the rain. The stick fell out of her hands, getting lifted off by the kite and the winds…when someone beside her jumped up and grabbed the edge of the string, just barely managing to catch it in time.

She looked over to see the Doctor had rushed out after her, seeing what she was doing. He'd grabbed the rope, needing to keep the kite secured.

"Get the stick!" he called to her over the rain pounding down around them.

She ran for it, trying to avoid getting whacked by it as it flailed in the wind.

"A little faster!" he shouted as the kite swerved this way and that, his grip tightening even as the rope shifted, chafing him, giving him terrible rope burns.

"I'm trying!" she huffed, finally grabbing the stick and turning to shove it into the ground…just as a huge clap of lighting lit up the sky…lit up the kite!

The electricity travelled down the length of the wet rope, right to the key, charging it…but continued on, zapping the Doctor.

He let out a cry of pain as the electricity jolted through him, falling onto his back, letting go of the rope, the kite still secure by the Professor's fixing the stick, though it was quickly forgotten as she rushed to his side.

He coughed, sitting up a moment later, his hair sticking up, smoking a bit, a few little sparks shooting up on the top of it from the electricity.

"Doctor!" the Professor struggled to help him up, leading him back to Rose and Franklin, the first of whom was being held back by the latter when she'd tried to run out there in the middle of the storm to help the Doctor, "It's alright," she murmured, helping him walk on shaky legs.

"Never, EVER doing that again," the Doctor winced.

Truth was…he would.

He knew what the chances were of the lightning hitting the kite, high, given that Franklin's experiment was hailed as a success. And he knew that the Professor would be so focused on getting the kite secured that she wouldn't even think about that, for as smart as she was, she could be a bit single-minded at times. He knew that she would get struck by the lightning and, even being a Time Lord and able to handle it, it was too much like the Krillitanes, he couldn't let her endure that, not again, not when she was actively ready to try and move past it.

It would have set her back far too much.

And…he just didn't like to see her in pain and it hurt, it really did.

"Doctor!" Rose reached forward, pulling him closer as his knees gave out and he sunk to the ground, a bit exhausted, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," he waved her off, more for the Professor's peace of mind than hers, he knew right where her mind would go, blaming herself, "Well, that's one way to get an energy boost," he smiled up at them, making Rose whack him on the arm, but getting the Professor to smile.

Mission complete.

~8~

The Doctor groaned a little as he pushed himself to sit up in his bed, still a bit sore from getting electrocuted even after Franklin and his wife insisted he recuperate just a bit at their home for at least a few hours. He bit back the rest of the groan when a small knock sounded from the door.

"Come in!" he called, the smile on his face genuine when the Professor entered, a small box in her hand, "What's that?" he nodded at it, "Is it a gift? Is it a gift for me? Is it? What is it? Is it schematics for a new 'wood' setting for the sonic? Or is it…"

He was cut off when she put a hand over his mouth, sitting on the edge of his bed, "It IS a gift, but no, it's got nothing to do with the sonic," she pulled her hand away and handed him the box.

He looked down at it and practically tore the lid off, he'd never had patience when it came to gifts from her. He picked up a pair of converse shoes from inside and looked at her curiously, he had lots of shoes…

"Rubber soled," she murmured, reaching into the box to take the other one, showing him the soles, "In case we're ever caught in another storm."

He smiled, it was thoughtful, it was practical, it was something to keep him safe…it was so her.

"Thank you," he smiled, reaching out to take her hand, squeezing it in thanks.

She gave a small nod before standing, "I bet Mickey would have loved to see that," she nodded at him.

He laughed heartily at that, Mickey certainly would have loved to see HIM being the idiot for once. But his smile faded a bit when he saw her expression was a sadder one. She really missed Mickey he realized.

He opened his mouth to say something when another knock sounded on the door. They looked over to see Rose had two cups of tea in hand, pausing before entering to glance at the Professor, almost suspicious, before she beamed at the Doctor, "Brought you something to help!" she cheered, walking in to hand him his mug, taking the spot the Professor had just been in, sitting at the edge of his bed, to sip her own.

The Professor nodded to herself, heading for the door, forcing herself not to look back as Rose started chatting with him, trying to cheer him up, even when she could feel the Doctor ignoring Rose, his gaze on her, till she'd shut the door behind her.

A/N: Aww, sort of a sad ending, I know. But this was when Rose was around and quite a lot of things hadn't been resolved or discussed. I hope this gave a little more insight as to why the Doctor didn't get involved with Rose and the Professor's issues. I actually had a little bit of a hard time writing this chapter, idk why, I suppose it was because I couldn't really see any alien threats being involved so it really was just about flying a kite lol.

Next chapter: The Crawlspace Under the House


	18. The Crawlspace Under the House

The Crawlspace Under the House (1/1)

"…waters, fighting against the stream, till they reach their preferred area for reproduction," the teacher droned on and on.

A young boy stood in the back of the class, a blonde girl at his side, both appearing to be children though they were both nearly 75 years old. The boy rolled his eyes, yawning, when the girl elbowed him in the side, nodding back at the teacher as though to tell him to pay attention.

"However, the indigenous Fish," the teacher continued, "Unwilling to share their natural habitat, will go to great lengths to try and keep the migrant Water-Bugs at bay by building dams closely resembling those of Earth beavers…"

The boy let his head fall back, staring at the sky, watching the clouds, before letting his head roll to the side to look at his girl friend. Friend! Friend who was a girl! Not a girlfriend. No, just a female companion…no, friend. She was a friend. Definitely a friend. His best friend really...

"What?" she asked quietly, seeing him staring at her with wide eyes.

"Nothing," he said quickly, shaking his head, turning to face the teacher again.

"…while civilized enough to understand the concept of names, the creatures of this planet have only one name and refer to themselves via a classification of species. For example, Clark the Bee, Clara the Bird, and so on…"

"Why did we sign up for this class again?" the boy muttered to his friend as they stood there, the other students listening with rapt attention while the two of them were a little less than enthused. They'd read up on the planet already. Yes, they were excited to actually be able to visit it, but they were hoping that it would be in a more adventurous setting than a school trip.

"Because they said they might go to Earth this cycle," she reminded him of their favorite planet. They had both read so much about it, even found themselves practicing some of the customs and holidays of the Earthlings, but neither had actually been there yet. And they couldn't wait to go!

"Now!" the teacher called sharply, "If you would follow me, we shall have the pleasure of meeting a few of the local life forms and observe them. This way," the teacher turned and headed off, "Follow me, closely now," the teacher added as the students began to amble after her.

Though…none of them noticed when two of their number didn't join them, the boy quickly pulling his friend behind a tree, covering her mouth with his hand to keep her from shouting out in surprise.

He waited till the students had left, their footsteps fading in the distance, before he pulled his hand away from her mouth, grinning widely.

She, however, was glaring at him, "Theta!" she cried, "Why did you do that?"

He laughed, taking her hand and pulling her off in the opposite direction, "Because, Kata, I wanted to explore with my best friend!" he cheered.

She shook her head, unable to argue with that, and jogged to catch up to him, having to keep jogging a little to keep up with him as his typical pace seemed to be what others would call a slow run. She knew it probably wasn't a good idea to wander off without an adult present, but…she was starting to find herself bending the rules quite a bit more since she'd met him. The planet was safe enough, it wasn't like the local life forms were naturally hostile, they were safe enough, and...she trusted him. More than anything. In all the time she'd known him, he'd never let anyone or anything hurt her. And that meant so much to her, probably more than he even realized. She'd follow him anywhere if just to return the favor. She was small for her age, she knew, but she was also far more active than many of the other Time Ladies, running around, keeping up with him, dancing…she was eager, though, for when she'd grow taller, bigger, stronger. Because, one day, she promised herself, she'd return the favor and protect him as well as he'd protected her.

She swung her arm, "So!" she smiled, "Where are we going?"

"Well…" he beamed, happy she was going along with his little impromptu adventure, "You remember that old house we passed?"

She frowned, recalling a large rundown mansion-like home, "That big old creepy one?"

"Spot on!" he nodded, "I want to take a look around. It seems abandoned and people always leave the best things in them!"

She shook her head, "Have you ever considered that they're abandoned for a _reason_?"

He paused in thought, before shaking his head, "Nah! It's probably got lots of junk in it or nothing at all. And if there's nothing there, what could possible go wrong!"

She just laughed, knowing him?

Everything.

~8~

"Any day now Theta," she muttered, standing behind him, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them as he tried to pick the lock on the front door of the old house. Despite it being abandoned, it was very well locked. She was actually feeling a bit uneasy about that, why lock up an empty old house so much? But…then again…that uneasy feeling, that feeling like she'd just swallowed an Earth hamster, often turned into excitement when he got involved.

"Patience Kata," he huffed.

She laughed, "Hypocrite."

He was the most impatient person she'd ever met.

"Know-it-all," he countered good-naturedly before shouting, "Ah ha!" finally managing to get the door opened.

He beamed at her, taking her hand before they carefully made their way inside, stepping over the threshold.

She paused though, frowning, "Did you hear that?"

"What?" he glanced back at her, tugging her on.

"Sounded like a beeping."

He shrugged, "I didn't hear anything. Come on!" he led her further into the house, opening another door from the foyer area to the main house, his ecstatic beam falling when he saw the house was completely bare. Nothing, not even _a speck_ of furniture remained.

He pouted.

"Oh yes," she giggled at his expression, "I can see all those 'best things' now."

"Ha ha Kata," he rolled his eyes before they moved from room to room, looking around, seeing if there was anything at all that could even remotely be interesting.

They found a dead bug in the attic.

That was about it.

"Well…" he frowned as they stood in what seemed to be the sitting room, a small fireplace the only item there, and it was probably only there because it was set into the wall. He shuffled over to the hearth and plopped down, sighing, "That was pointless."

She gave him a small smile and moved to sit beside him, leaning on his shoulder, "Still, exploring an empty old house with you was much more interesting than walking through the woods and listening to stories about Water-Bugs named Joe."

He laughed, smiling at that, she always knew how to cheer him up, she was just so optimistic, or at least she was starting to be. He hoped it was because of him.

He gave the room one more look before reaching out and putting his hand on the corner of the fireplace, patting it, about ready to leave...when his finger felt something. He frowned, turning to look at the fireplace closely, his eyes widening when he spotted a button.

And, of course, he HAD to push it.

There was a clank and the bottom of the fireplace fell down. They twisted around to look at the fireplace bottom, moving to kneel half-inside it for a better look. It seemed like it was a trapdoor of some sort, but…it hadn't opened completely. It was like a grate with a false bottom under it. The bottom had dropped out, the grate starting to move to the side…only to get stuck.

"What's down there?" he wondered, leaning closer to try and peer through the grate. There was a light on, and…

"Is that beeping?" she frowned, it was the same beep that she'd heard when they first stepped into the house.

He squinted, moving to lay down so he could see from a different angle, into the room. It seemed, from what he could see, to be a laboratory of some sort. The walls were white, with a table set up, various odds and ends on it, papers stuck to the wall, with a large computer monitor glaring and blinking from where it had been set up in the back of the room.

His eyes widened, seeing something flickering on the monitor. A map of the planet, hundreds of red blinking lights, and…a countdown.

"Um…Kata…" he began, reaching back to take her hand.

"What?" she tensed, not liking the tone of his voice.

"Run!" he leapt up and pulled her out of the house, just barely making it to the edge of the woods when she stopped, pulling him to a stop as well.

"What is it?" she asked, "What happened?"

"Um, it seems that the house was booby trapped," he chuckled embarrassedly.

She blinked, "What sort of booby traps?"

"Um," he rubbed the back of his neck, "Looks like bombs…"

"Bombs?"

"Set up all around the planet…"

"Everywhere?!"

"And about to go off in five minutes…"

"Five minutes!"

He checked his watch, "Well, more like four and a half now…"

"Theta!"

"I know," he winced, "I know, I'm sorry. We never should have gone into the house. But we need to get to the teacher and warn them and…"

"We can't just _leave_!"

"But the bombs…"

"Are going to blow up the _whole planet_ if we don't stop them!"

"And how are we going to do that?" he shook his head.

"All computers have an override don't they?" she responded, "An abort switch?"

"That grate was welded in there, we won't be able to shift it to get down there to use it," he reminded her.

"Well…" she looked back at the house, her hearts racing as the time continued to tick by, "It was under the house yeah?"

"Yeah…"

"So there must be another way into it! If we can find the walls maybe we can find a way in, it's got to have vents somewhere otherwise they wouldn't be able to breathe!"

He gaped at her a moment, "Brilliant!" he cheered, grabbing her hand as they ran back to the house. They dashed around it, trying to find some sort of vent anywhere…but there was _nothing_.

"Wait!" he cried, pulling her back to the front steps, he knelt beside them, breaking off a piece of the wooden fence-like side to reveal a space just under the house, a crawlspace.

He quickly got onto his stomach, scuttling through the space with her right behind him, moving beside him as they tried to maneuver themselves through the darkness, barely able to see anything.

"There!" she pointed, spotting a little light shining up through a metal grate.

They made their ways over to it, looking down into it to see it was a rather small vent, barely a foot wide, but stationed right above the main computer that had reached two minutes.

"Help me with this," he muttered, grabbing the edge of the grate and tugging on it, the two of them managing to pry it off and toss it aside. He frowned, looking at the size of the hole, "I might be able to shimmy through…"

"I'm smaller than you," she cut in, stopping him from trying to crawl into the opening, "I might be able to fit better."

"But I've got longer arms," he stretched his, "If we get stuck, I might still be able to reach the computer, see…" he pointed down, showing her a small square on the monitor which, luckily, read 'abort' on it.

She frowned but nodded, it _did_ make sense…

He grinned, "Here I go," he winked at her before moving to try and get into the small opening…

And, exactly as predicted, he got stuck.

"I can't…shift…" he wiggled, trying to get further in, feeling her trying to help push and balance him in the process, "30 seconds!" he gasped, seeing the countdown now glowing red.

"Then reach!" she shouted.

He managed to get one of his arms free before him, reaching for the monitor, straining as far as he could.

"10…" the computer began to announce, "9…"

"Theta!" she cried.

"8…7…"

"Almost…" he groaned, reaching, his fingers as stretched as he could get them.

"6…5…"

"Just a little more…"

"4…3…"

"Go on!" he jerked...

"2…"

...just barely managing to hit the screen.

"…operation aborted."

He slumped, half-hanging into the room as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was cutting it a bit fine," he heard her grumble.

He laughed, wiggling to try and pull himself up, strangely an easier thing to do than getting down into the hole in the first place, "More fun that way."

She had to smile at him though, when he managed to get himself free and back up to her, "Well done."

"Thanks!" he beamed.

He always loved it when she looked at him like that, so proud of him, so amazed. He may have, possibly, admitted, just a little, to himself that half the time he hoped they'd get into those sorts of situations just so he could save the day and make her smile like that.

She opened her mouth to say something when they heard a shrill whistle sound from just outside the house. They winced, it was a familiar whistle, it was one the teachers were expected to carry during trips like these, to gather the children.

And with it being so close…the could only guess what had happened, the teacher had noticed them missing and come to find them.

They turned and quickly crawled back through the space, moving out from under the stairs to see their teacher standing only a few feet in front of the house, her hands on her hips, the other children behind her, half looking irritated, the other half amused when the two of them stood up, trying to brush off the mounds of dirt and dust and cobwebs that had covered them from their crawl.

"Hello!" he cheered to the teacher, who looked at him most unamused.

"Might I ask," she began, though they could both tell she was silently fuming at them, "What you two thought you were doing not only wandering off but…" she gestured at the house, "That?"

They shared a small smile before she turned to the teacher, "We just saved the world!"

The teacher rolled her eyes, clearly thinking they had just made the story up, she knew those students, both had far too active of imaginations for their own good.

"With us," she called them over, "Now!"

They jumped and dashed back over to the teacher's side, smirking to each other as she grumbled and activated her teleport, sending them all back to the ship that would bring them to Gallifrey to discuss what they'd learned.

And she would be rather irritated when, instead of speaking of the creatures or the ecosystem or the culture of the planet, her two most troublesome students would speak only of how they'd saved the planet from the crawlspace under the house.

A/N: I could completely see the Doctor trying to save the world only to get awkwardly stuck in the middle of it lol :) Tiny little hint of events/people mentioned in Series 6. Anyone spot it?

Sorry for this being a day late. I had left the chapter up on my computer when I went to dinner with my family yesterday and when we came back my computer had crashed. I hadn't saved before I left so I lost the chapter and had to rewrite it! Sorry!

I read a review to come up with a possible explanation/reason as to why the 1st and 6th Doctor were so bitter, which will be the next chapter to come :)

Next chapter...Why So Serious?


	19. Why So Serious?

Why So Serious? (1/mentions of 2)

"Grandfather?"

The Doctor looked over, hearing his granddaughter, Susan, calling him. He was standing at the console, absently staring at the rotor as he had been ever since Susan asked if they might one day meet William Shakespeare. It wasn't Susan's fault that asking that had made him rather sad. She didn't know. She didn't know who else had once asked him to meet the wordsmith.

"What is it Susan?" he asked, moving to walk around the console, setting random controls, not knowing, not caring really, where they ended up.

She was quiet for a long while, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Silence reigned again.

"I just…" she hesitated, wondering if she should ask. It wasn't like she was worried because it was such a sudden change in mood, her grandfather was _always_ a bit moody and snappish and bitter…but THAT was the problem wasn't it? It wasn't right for someone to naturally be that way.

Her father had warned her when she'd told him that she wanted to go back in time and travel with her grandfather, see the Universe he always mentioned when he came to visit. Her father had scoffed, neither he nor her mother had been big on travelling. But then, her great-auntie, Poppy she called her, had sat with her one night, as she stared at the stars, and told her to go on, go for it, see what wonders the Universe had to offer while she still could.

So she'd stolen a Temporal Teleport, a crude little invention that could take you back in time, only once. And teleported right to her grandfather's TARDIS…unfortunately setting off alarms and defense mechanisms that led to an emergency landing in a scrapyard on Earth…

She hadn't believed her father when he said that HIS father was just a grouchy old man, bitter with loneliness, but it was_ true_. That's how he always was to most others. Moody, grouchy, snippy, irritated…and so alone. Even with her there he always seemed alone. He was kinder to her, it was true, seeming pleased that she had more of an adventurous side to her than her father, his son, did.

"Why are you so serious?" she asked him with a soft sigh, "You're so cross all the time and…I rarely ever see you smile anymore when others are around…"

He ignored her, continuing on the controls.

Susan walked over and gently took his hands, "Grandfather please. I just want to help."

He paused, looking at her wrist, wrapped in a slight bandage. She'd sprained it on their last adventure. He turned her hand over and gently brushed a finger along her wrist, "You're so much like her."

Susan frowned, "Like who?"

He looked up and sighed, before turning to lean on the console, "You remember the Professor?"

Susan immediately smiled, "Of course I remember Aunt Poppy."

He offered a small smile, the Professor had been so irritated when his son started calling her Aunt Poppy. The boy couldn't quite pronounce 'professor' as a young child, ending up saying something like 'poe-pay-door' for some reason which had eventually shortened to poppy. Though, now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure if she was irritated with the fact she was called 'aunt' when she was godmother or 'poppy' instead of her title. He supposed he'd never know now. He rarely saw her anymore. Hadn't seen her at all since he'd run off with the old TARDIS they'd always hidden away in.

"You remind me of her at times," he murmured.

Susan looked at him, "Is THAT why you're sad grandfather? You miss Poppy?"

"More than you could possibly know," he turned and looked at the controls again.

"Well why don't we go back to Gallifrey then?" she shook her head, not understanding, "Poppy would _love_ to see you, I know it, and..."

"I can't."

She frowned at how he had said that. He sounded like it physically _hurt_ him to do so, "Why not?"

He sighed, rubbing his face, before he looked at her a long while, as though debating whether to say what was truly on his mind. He hadn't told anyone, no one at all, about what he felt for the Professor. Not his parents, not his friends, especially not his ex-wife, Susan's grandmother. No one knew, at least not from his own mouth, though he was fairly certain quite a few of his friends from the Academy had guessed it given how he often acted around the Professor.

"Susan..." he sighed, "You know I love you very much," he began.

"Of course I do grandfather," she nodded, moving closer to him, "I love you too."

He smiled slightly at that, "I DO love my son as well."

Susan nodded, before she realized something, "But...what about grandmother?"

He shook his head, "I _tried_..." he breathed.

Susan's eyes widened at the admission, veiled though it was, that he DIDN'T love her grandmother, "But...father..."

"Was the result of a Union with Mayra," he cut in gently, "Susan, there is something you must understand about me, about your father and your grandmother, about your aunt Poppy."

"What?" she shook her head, confused, and a little hurt. She'd always assumed that her grandfather and grandmother had loved each other, but that her grandfather's longing to travel and her grandmother's desire to stay on Gallifrey had caused their separation.

He took a breath, trying to gather not only the strength, but the courage, to admit, out loud, what he knew in his hearts to be true, "I loved the Professor."

Susan blinked.

He nodded, turning back to the console, "I loved her, more than anything," he let out a small laugh, "I even promised her, one day, I would Bond to her."

"Bond?" Susan breathed, stunned. Not just because of his words, but the Bond itself, it was...a very serious matter. And she knew, she realized right then and there, he must have truly and deeply loved Poppy very much to consider that. She blinked again though, "But...grandmother?"

He swallowed hard, staring, unseeing, at a random knob of the console, "The Professor was invited to be an Academic. I couldn't let her give up that dream by telling her how I felt," he nodded, "I began to court your grandmother, tried to keep myself from the Professor, tried to...distract myself. And it worked, for a short while. We United, as you're aware, we had your father..." he shook his head, "But I couldn't live the lie any longer Susan. It tore me apart, day in and day out, pulled at me in ways I hope you shall never experience. Until I couldn't bear it any longer. And we separated."

"Grandfather," Susan whispered, walking over to his side, putting her hand on his arm, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

"No one knows," he turned to her, "_No one_ Susan. Not your father, or your grandmother, not even the Professor knows. And you must NOT tell them. Do you understand?"

"But if Poppy knew, grandfather she'd..."

"She'd _hate_ me for tearing apart her family," he cut in, "I ran because I couldn't stand to see that look on her face when next we met."

Susan frowned, that didn't sound like Poppy at all. Poppy would have been SO _happy_ to have him back because she was SO _sad_ without him. She knew Poppy wasn't always like that, that she'd been vibrant and happy and curious and brilliant, she still was brilliant but she'd regenerated. The Poppy she knew as so sad, all the time...as sad, she realized, as her grandfather was.

She let out a little breath, making the connection, "You miss her."

"Terribly," he nodded, looking at the rotor, "She should _be_ here, with me, travelling the stars, seeing the Universe. We promised each other we would, together. Every new planet, every new species, every new star...I think of her, and how she's not here."

So THAT was why he was so cross all the time. It had to be so hard to see all these wonderful things and know that the ONE person who ought to be there with you, see it and experience it too, wasn't there and that YOU were the reason for it.

"I live in hope though," he continued, "That, through you, she might see these wonders as well."

"Through ME grandfather?"

He nodded, "You are of her family as well my dear," he smiled softly at her, "Through you, she's here too."

Susan smiled at that. Her grandfather was always so biting and harsh to the humans, but so kind and fond of her. Now she knew why, it wasn't just that she was his granddaughter, but that she was also _Poppy's_ 'great-niece' as well. She knew Poppy wasn't_ really_ her aunt, she was her grandmother's cousin, but her grandmother always told them to call her cousin their 'Aunt' instead.

She blinked again, realizing one more thing, Poppy was never truly happy when that happened. She saw it sometimes, a sadness in Poppy's eyes when she looked at her father or her, almost...regret? No...envy? No...she didn't know exactly what but, if Poppy felt for her grandfather, what her grandfather felt for Poppy...then, perhaps, she was sad that she and her father were not HERS. She had to wonder, what would life have been like if Poppy was her grandmother. What would it be like if Poppy DID love her grandfather as much as he clearly still loved her? She felt like Poppy _did_ love him, very much, there was always such a fondness, a happiness in her eyes when she spoke of the man.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as she moved to hug her grandfather, "That you're so sad. And that you miss Poppy."

He nodded as he clutched her tighter, he loved hugging his granddaughter, her hugs were almost exactly like the Professor's when they'd been children, "I hope, my dear, that one day you too shall find a love like I did," he pulled away and cupped her face, "No matter the pain it can cause, love will ALWAYS be the greatest blessing you can receive. Though I do hope you shall _never_ have to know the pain of leaving the one you love behind."

She nodded, "And I hope, one day, you and Poppy get your chance to be together."

"As do I," he smiled, allowing himself one brief moment to think about what that moment might be like, feeling the warmth build inside him at just the thought of being with her again. But, as always with his little dreams, it faded as reality set in and the warmth was replaced by the cold of disappointment. He shook his head, needing a distraction to the sorrow he was feeling, "Now! I believe we were in the middle of finding a new adventure yes?"

"Yes," she smiled as well though, watching him now, she could see the longing for the _distraction_ the adventure would provide.

"Let's visit Earth," he nodded, moving to the controls, "Now, which year? Hmm?"

"I don't know," she shook her head.

"It's up to you," he remarked, "Pick any number."

"Hmm..." she hummed a moment, before randomly throwing out, "21-64!"

He laughed, nodding, "2164 it is. I'll go collect Barbara and Chesserman."

"It's Chesterton," Susan corrected with a laugh as her grandfather ambled on to gather his companions. Her smile grew more thoughtful as she watched him go. She couldn't help but really wonder what life would be like if Poppy really_ had_ been her grandmother instead.

She couldn't truly imagine it, but she knew one thing at least, her grandfather wouldn't be so bitter, or sad, or serious if Poppy was there too.

A/N: I was debating doing both Doctors, 1 and 6 in this chapter, but I have different ideas of why they were so cross all the time in mind so I thought I'd split it. Which is why this one is so short, I also didn't want to take away from the scene by breaking it up with flashbacks, I just wanted it to be a little grandfather/granddaughter moment :) Absolutely no idea where 'Poppy' came from lol.

Here we have the First Doctor, and his reason for being bitter is because this is his first round of trips out into the Universe and it's hitting him harder that the Professor isn't there like they promised. This incarnation is him knowingly leaving her behind and going out on adventures, HIS decision. I sort of feel like his other incarnations could try to 'fool' themselves into thinking of it along the lines of 'that was a different me who did it' sort of thing which is why they were better able to adjust to travelling without her. We will see why 6 is so cross as well in the next chapter.

If the 1st Doctor or Susan seem out of character, I apologize, I haven't been able to watch Classic Who, so what I'm getting of their personalities and how they speak are from clips on youtube.

And...thanks so much for the promts/requests/suggestions for chapters! I've definitely added them to my list of possible chapters :) Just a quick note...I actually HAVE written out the Death of the Doctor (and the Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith) from the Sarah Jane Adventures already for both the Professor and my other OC Evy. That chapter (DOTD) can be found in that episode of Revitalization and/or Linked Through Time :) So since they're already a part of the main stories, I probably won't post them here in the spin-off but feel free to check them out :)

Next chapter: No Need to Shout


	20. No Need to Shout

A/N: Just a short blurb about the characters in this chapter. Peri was a companion of the 5th, and then 6th, Doctor. The 6th Doctor seemed to be very bitter and arrogant and this chapter sort of explores why that might be.

~8~

No Need to Shout (6/1)

"Well, that was trying," the Doctor remarked bitterly as he waltzed into the TARDIS, his multicolored coat billowing behind him from the stride.

Peri jogged along after him, weary from their latest adventure. She hadn't quite gotten used to this new Doctor, he'd regenerated not long ago and this new him…was SO different. He was arrogant and dramatic and over the top and…slightly manic at times. He wasn't the kind, full of life, fun Doctor she had travelled with before but…she just couldn't seem to make herself leave him. He'd died so terribly that she was sure it had to have had some sort of effect on him even now. She just wanted to help him, remind him of the nice, kind man he'd been.

"Trying?" she frowned, "But…you seemed to enjoy it…"

"As much as one can with such limited stimulation," he gave a long suffering sigh, moving to the console, trying to get them off and somewhere more…challenging, "Honestly Peri that last mystery was so obvious I'm truly surprised YOU didn't even see it."

Peri rolled her eyes behind his back, already used to comments like that from him as bad as that was. He was a rather insulting man, seemed to think she should be able to work things out as well as him for travelling with him despite the fact she was just a human.

"But then again, I suppose there is a limit to the intelligence of all species," he continued, ignoring her and the effect his words were having on her, "Not Time Lords of course, certainly not_ me_," he smiled smugly, "Especially not…"

Peri looked at him as he cut himself off suddenly, stiffening before he moved around the console, more focused on the controls than before. That wasn't like him, he tended to love getting his point across, then emphasizing how brilliant it was, before adding some sort of insult to the person listening.

"Not what?" she asked, moving to his side.

"Especially not with such dull adventures," he continued.

She frowned, that was NOT what he was going to say, she could tell.

"All they serve to do is exemplify my true genius," he added, "But if they don't pick up soon my mind will slow, I can feel it, and soon…I'll be a blubbering, befuddled mess like you."

"I'm not a mess!" she tried to defend.

He scoffed, "Of course not," he muttered sarcastically, "You're _brilliant_ aren't you? Yet you manage to get yourself into trouble all the time and who has to come to the rescue? Hmm? Who has to stop in the middle of saving a planet or helping a species to get you out of trouble? Good Lord Peri if you could just THINK at times, use that human brain however measly and meager it is, put some _effort_ into it perhaps you wouldn't be as irritating as you are. I need _challenges_ Peri, I don't need some simpering human to follow me around like a lost puppy constantly asking me to explain everything that happens to be in front of me to them! I need someone who can _think_! Someone who can _act _without me telling them what to do! Someone who can go toe-to-toe with me and inspire me! Instead I have to endure your endless nonsense and stupidity, you've no idea how wearying that is to someone like me! 'Oh once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary!' Never before have I had to suffer through a more useless companion!"

Peri blinked quickly, trying to keep the tears from falling from her eyes, swallowing hard, "Well then why do you?" she asked.

"Because it is my duty to enlighten you," he muttered, struggling with a lever, "However tedious and impossible a task that may be I shall rise to the challenge."

"So I'm just…a project?" she sniffled, hurt. She had been his friend once upon a time.

"That's one word for it."

She shook her head, "Well stop it," she told him, "Just…just take me home and drop me off and go find someone smart enough for you," she turned to head off, needing to get to her room and pack her few belongings.

"Ha," he scoffed, "As though I could."

"Oh right," she turned to him, feeling just a bit of anger rising in her as well, "Because no one could be as smart as the great Doctor."

"No," he countered as though not even hearing her sarcasm, "Because she won't speak to me."

Peri blinked, stunned.

_What?_

"Who won't?" she asked, taking a step closer to him.

"The Professor," he answered, moving around the console, still working away. It wasn't a distraction technique, he sounded like he was commenting on the weather…which was odd as he usually sounded condescending or arrogant.

"Professor of what?"

"Everything."

"Who is she?"

"The smartest woman I've ever met," he told her, finally looking up at her, "What's wrong with _you_ now?" he asked, noting the slight shining quality in her eyes.

She shook her head at him, self-absorbed too he was, didn't even notice she was on the verge of crying, didn't even realize HE was the one who had made her so.

"Nothing," she replied, "How do you know her?"

"She's my best friend," he winced, "Or she _was_."

"What happened to her?" she stepped closer.

"I suppose we may have possibly had a falling out of sorts."

"You_ suppose_?" she frowned, "Don't you _know_?"

It wasn't often that the Doctor didn't know something.

"I haven't actually talked to her in a while."

She blinked, "Did you part ways angry?"

"No, I just told you Peri I haven't spoken to her," he rolled his eyes at her, sounding exasperated, "What part of that was so difficult to understand?"

"Wait…" she shook her head, "You had a falling out but you didn't _actually_ have a falling out?"

"Finally, she's clever," he mumbled to himself.

"How does that even _happen_?" she moved right beside him now, utterly confused.

He sighed again, "I left _before_ it could happen," he explained slowly, "And every attempt at contacting her has been rejected."

"So she's ignoring you?"

"Really Peri, do keep up, it is monotonous to hear you repeating what I've just said."

She pouted a bit at that, but decided to leave off it a moment, "And she's clever?"

"Very."

Her eyes widened at that, "Cleverer than you?"

"Undoubtedly."

And widened even more at the admission that someone _else _was _smarter _than him. She was fairly certain hell had frozen over with that last word.

"So why don't you go find her? Talk to her face-to-face?"

"Don't you think I've_ tried_ that?" he snapped and she sighed, sensing him getting angry again, he was very prone to mood swings she'd noticed, "She's _clever_ Peri, I just told you that, repeatedly, she's quite possibly the only person in this Universe that could offer me any semblance of entertainment on these adventures. She can talk circles round me, she can spot things I miss, she remembers more than I do, she thinks _faster_ than _me_! So naturally she would have ways of avoiding me!"

She opened her mouth to try and say something but he was on a roll.

"Have you any idea how aggravating it is, to ask a question and KNOW _she_ would have the answer but have to sit there and listen to humans squabble over what the question even was? Or to explain something so simple as quantum physics, knowing she would keep up and counter my points, but only have my companions dribbling on their shirts in ignorance? Or to find yourself in the middle of a dangerous situation, acutely aware that she would have had a way to get you out of it, to avoid it all together, and suffer through humans wandering in blindly? It is the most trying experience in the Universe to have HAD that brilliance every day of your life and then be left with nothing but _humans_ for company!"

Peri was stunned, knowing she _should_ be offended by the numerous digs against her and humans in general, but…the Doctor…he'd revealed more than she was sure he intended to in that rant.

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked, working it out in what he'd probably declare as a 'rare moment of brilliance'...or a fluke.

"Of course I do," he rolled his eyes, "She's my equal in every way, the only one worthwhile, the only one who can offer something MORE to the adventures than _just_ adventures and mysteries and dangers. With her here…I would be a better man than I already am. But she's not here, is she?" he added the last question bitterly.

Peri was silent for a long while,_ finally_ starting to understand why he acted so…abysmally to everyone else. He was just an arrogant man, well, she supposed he had _right_ to be, he WAS brilliant, the most brilliant man she'd ever met. And he wasn't being _challenged_. All his thoughts, all his knowledge, were wasting away with no one to talk to who could understand what he was saying and keep up with him. Until an adventure came along and he could finally use what he knew.

He was self-absorbed, he only seemed to care about himself at times because…the one he actually DID care about wasn't there. So who _else_ was there to be concerned for? No one. Not even his companions. Because they could _never_ compare to_ her_. He had no one to challenge him, to prove he wasn't as brilliant or as all-important as he seemed to see himself. There was no one there to keep him in line.

And he was always shouting because it must be so irritating to, as he said, talk or ask questions that no one was able to respond to. He got irritated quickly because he knew SHE would know the answer, she would have some witty retort, she would keep up easily…and _she wasn't there_. Those frustrations of not having someone who GOT him, someone who _challenged_ him, someone who_ understood_ him came out in his temper. He was expecting a response like one _she_ would give and when no one gave it, it just reminded him all the more that she wasn't there with him.

He took his anger out on the humans and that wasn't right.

So she crossed her arms, "Whatever happened Doctor, no matter how much you miss her…there's no need to shout!"

And with that, she turned and huffed off, leaving him to the controls, knowing he probably hadn't even heard a word she'd said and if, by some miracle, he _had_, he didn't care enough to listen.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter was so short :( I've found that the 'dialogue' chapters, where he's just talking to a companion tend to be difficult to write and end up being short as there's really no action/danger going on but just an explanation/epiphany for the companion. I'm not entirely sure if I captured the 6th Doctor or Peri accurately, I tried to watch some videos on youtube/read his personality on different websites. All I could really gather was that he started off very arrogant, self-absorbed, and seemed to feel like he had to endure his companions rather than enjoying them. And that he shouted...a lot. So I decided to start him near the beginning of this incarnation to really play that up. I also wanted to go in a different direction that the reason for the way he is compared to the 1st and 7th Doctors, here he's a very arrogant man, the only one who could keep up with him would be the Professor so he's just irritated with the lack of genius in his companions given the high level he's found in her :)

I may come back and rewrite this chapter once I eventually get my hands on Classic Who. Pretty much my entire paycheck goes to helping my parents pay the bills...especially since my dad seems to be going through a mid-life crisis and wasting money we don't have. -sigh- One day I'll get you CW, one day.

Next chapter: Bowling with Virginia Woolf


	21. Bowling with Virginia Woolf

Bowling with Virginia Woolf (11/11)

"Ginny!" the Professor cheered as she and the Doctor stepped into the bowling alley, having wandered through it, her having to drag the Doctor away from the very early versions of arcade games they'd passed, when they spotted the lovely brunette woman who looked about 20 or so standing with a small group of men and women.

The woman, none other than Virginia Woolf, turned around and blinked, staring at the strawberry blonde woman and man in a bow tie as they made their way over, "Hello?" she frowned, eyeing them closely, wondering if she had met them before.

"Oh come on Ginny," the Professor smiled, "Who _else_ would call you that?"

It was well known that she preferred to be called V or simply Virginia, yet only a very select few called her Ginny, most of whom were dead except... "Professor?" her eyes widened as she stared at the woman, "Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded, "Hello Gin."

Virginia smiled widely and stepped up to them, hugging them both. How could she have not known them? Despite the fact that they'd changed their faces on her...again...she really _should _have known. She'd known them for _years_, many different versions of them apparently. She'd first met them when she had been younger, she'd suffered very bad bouts of nerves getting to her, until one day, this daft looking man in a long brown coat who seemed to be her newest 'doctor' sat across from her with a woman in a grey sweater, and just..._talked_ to her. Before she knew it, she was laughing and smiling and feeling better, all the things that had plagued her seemed to just...fade away during that talk.

She'd gone on with her life, thinking of them whenever she felt the demons creeping up on her. They had been the ones to suggest this bowling team she had joined. Social interaction, friendship, exactly what a lonely person needed to fend off the shadows of one's own mind. And she had to admit, the days she bowled, the days she sat with her friends, had been the ones she looked forward to. And..._they_ always seemed to know when a competition was coming up and show up, ready to help.

It was funny though, every time a competition arose, two members of the team would mysteriously not show up...something about a lottery...

"It's been too long," she said, pulling away from them.

"I know," the Professor rolled her eyes, "Blame this one," she nodded at the Doctor, "He distracted me."

The Doctor just grinned and wound an arm around her waist, "You know you LOVE it when I distract you," he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

Virginia blushed at the open display of affection, reminding herself that they truly were from another word, another time. They'd told her so when they'd first met, she'd thought they were making fun of her, but they'd proved it with their wonderful box. She'd never doubted them after that, but these new thems...were SO different than the others.

She'd met the brown coat and the grey sweater often, more often than this one, but she'd also seen a blonde Professor as well. She had been...rather quiet, the Doctor had said she was just recovering from her own demons that had taken over her for a time. She and THAT Professor had had quite a good long talk about it, about beating their demons and fighting. She'd asked the Professor how she'd kept fighting, because, at times, it seemed so pointless. The Professor had just said that...when you love someone, you do ANYTHING to be with them, to STAY with them, and you fight so much harder for THEM.

The Doctor had seemed near tears at that.

But THESE two...they seemed as though they could hardly keep their hands _off _one another.

"Sorry to just drop in like this," the Doctor continued, "We were showing one of our new friends around and got to talking, realized we might be a bit late for the next round of bowling! So we dropped her off to help her fiancé pack some things for our trips and thought we'd pop in while they were at it, see if we hadn't missed it…"

"You're just in time actually," she told them, leading them over to the small group of friends she had gathered, mostly men, all writers she had come to admire, "Everyone, this is..." she paused a moment, unsure which name to give them. She'd introduced brown coat as the Doctor, grey sweater as the Professor, and then again the blonde woman as Katherine.

"John," the Doctor waved, "And my lovely wife Kat."

Virginia beamed, watching the Doctor smile at the Professor, able to see the love flowing from each of them, passing between their eyes, "They've come to act as stand ins," she added, nodding at the two empty chairs that hadn't been filled, two of their team members having not shown up.

"Just in time, it would seem," a young man smiled, standing to greet them, "Leonard Woolf," he shook their hands.

"Woolf," the Doctor eyed him, looking between him and Virginia.

"Yes?" the man frowned a moment.

"1905," the Professor whispered to the Doctor.

"Oh...oh!" he looked at Virginia and back to the Professor, "Then she's..."

"Stephen," she agreed, recalling Virginia's maiden name.

"Right, yes, hello!" the Doctor smiled, shaking the man's hand, so excited to see history in the making. If it was 1905, which the Professor had never been wrong in her assessment of dates before, then this might be just when Virginia Woolf would begin her relationship with her husband...Leonard.

"Can we start the match now?" one of the other men called, seeming rather eager to crush the competition given the way he was grinning and staring down the other teams.

As though hearing his words, one person from each of the other teams stood and moved to begin their turns. Virginia turned to the Professor, handing her a bowling ball, "Best if we start off strong," she remarked.

The Professor grinned and took the ball, stepping up to the lane and readying herself. She waited till each of the other teams had made their shots, knowing that all the teams would wait till each other had finished a turn before allowing the next person to go. She wanted them to see this, to see that their team would most likely win, because she knew it would cheer Virginia up and, maybe, give her something to talk to Leonard about…the woman seemed rather distant from the man who would one day be the most important man in her life.

She swung back and let the ball go, watching as it rolled, perfectly straight, down the lane, and earned them a strike. The team cheered and she turned around, just in time for a pair of arms to wrap around her and a pair of lips to press against hers in congratulations. She laughed, blushing a bit as she pulled away, she'd almost forgotten how the Doctor celebrated her getting a strike…the very same way she motivated him to try to get a strike as well.

~8~

The match was going well, their team was ahead by quite a number of strikes, mostly due to the Professor, the Doctor, Virginia, and, surprisingly Leonard as well. The other teams though, did not seem as pleased. But then again…the other teams seemed…tired as well…and growing more so as the match went on. But, as the Doctor and Professor watched, it wasn't anything like a normal weariness. Not by a long shot.

No, instead…it seemed as though, with every turn, they just…grew weaker.

The Doctor looked at the Professor and she nodded, something was not right here.

"How about we take a break?" the Doctor called to the other teams, who were all too happy to oblige, falling down into their chairs, so _tired_.

"We'll be right back Ginny," the Professor patted the woman on the shoulder as she moved past her with the Doctor. They moved to a small corner where the games were set up. The Doctor glanced around, pulling out his sonic and switching it on, only to turn if off just as suddenly, trying to shush it for its noise…but then…

They heard something odd. Something…mechanical.

They frowned, looking around to see they were standing around wooden booths, everything was wooden, mechanics like the one they'd just heard wouldn't be around for years yet. And then they saw it…at the end of each lane, the bowling pins were being set up automatically, the balls being returned much like a modern day bowling alley would have done. And that was SO not right.

They quickly made their way back to Virginia, seeing her looking at Leopold, turning her head when he would glance at her, but had little time to think on that as they tugged her to the side a moment, "Ginny…those pins…" the Professor nodded to the end of the lane, "How are they doing that?"

Virginia looked at her a moment before laughing, "You live your lives in that wonderful, mad old box and you're awed by automated pins?"

"Why are they here?" the Doctor asked, urgently.

"I'm not certain," Virginia shrugged, "They were set up when this alley opened. There was a fire, the damage was extreme but a lovely investor took an interest in it and donated a fortune to rebuild it," she smiled, "They had those things," she nodded back at the alley, "Installed, aren't they magnificent? Have you ever seen anything like it? The balls just come back to you and…"

But she was cut off when the Time Lords turned and ran off, down behind the line of teams, all seeming to just be growing weaker, and around a small corner, down a ramp to a door. Of course, the door WOULD have a 'keep out' sign of some sort, but the just pulled out the sonic and…

"It's wood Doctor," the Professor nodded at it and he looked down to see that it wasn't a metal locked door but rather one that had a wooden bolt to keep people out. The Professor just patted his shoulder, "Leave it to me," and braced herself before kicking the door down in one fell swoop.

The Doctor just blinked and looked at it, then her, "I'm starting to think that's almost as bad as you with a blaster," he muttered, swallowing hard.

She beamed at that, leaning over to kiss his cheek, "I'm fairly certain we'll get to see me with a blaster as well," she told him, taking his hand, "Now let's go!"

He laughed, rushing through the door with her, pulling out the sonic, knowing that, whatever was back there would most certainly be alien in nature and something the sonic could pick up on. And pick up on it it did as they turned and ran around a corner, stopping short as they saw something was NOT from this time period.

Set along the wall was a bank of high-tech, very advanced, technology, like a giant computer with numerous metal claws and arms sticking out of it. Each arm reached out to the pins as they fell, replacing them, the balls rolling onto a small conveyer belt that ran into the bottom of the computers, where the balls were flashed with a red light, and out of it again, heading under the bowling lane and back up to the bowlers. Of course they'd need something to replace the pins in order to keep anyone from needing to come back there and do it themselves.

The Doctor quickly held out the sonic and flashed the nearest panel, short circuiting it, making all the arms groan to a stop, the conveyer belts slow to a halt, and the red lights flicker off. They walked through, ducking and moving around a few of the claw arms till they reached the center, where a monitor was displayed, static playing. The Doctor flicked to another setting of the sonic and flashed the screen, bringing only IT to life.

The Professor frowned and moved closer, typing a few commands into the keypad before it, hacking into the systems and bringing up the log of what the machine was doing. She blinked, "They're stealing the energy from the bowlers," she remarked, though that much really was obvious from the reactions of the men and women outside, "Set for human life force…well that explains us."

It explained Virginia and Leonard as well, both she and the Doctor had been trying to talk the other human up during the match. Their turns had been slotted where Virginia was after her while Leonard was after the Doctor, giving them a chance to speak to the humans about their future spouse. THEY had handed the balls to the humans, cancelling out the effects.

"Seems like the balls collect enough information and energy signatures from the humans to be scanned into the machine, assimilated," the Professor looked at the plans racing past the monitor, "It absorbs the energy and creates a link to the human, draining them more and more with every turn…"

"But why?" the Doctor shook his head.

"Let's go find out," she took his hand, "The energy must be going somewhere," she winked at him, pointing at a button on the machine, "And you're ever so good with teleports."

He beamed, flicking on the sonic, activating the emergency teleport that was supposed to remove all the equipment should a_ human_ enter that little hall.

Well, it was a good thing they weren't human, wasn't it?

~8~

The Time Lords appeared on a spacecraft, of course, hovering above the Earth, as always, and surrounded by the aliens that were behind the bowling alley energy drain, as per usual. The Doctor though, did stare a bit at the aliens, they were…elf-like. They had pale green skin, sharp ears, and a very otherworldly glow to them. It seemed like there were males and females, the men with blue hair, very long, with a pink streak in them, wearing dark blue jumpsuits with what looked like golden vines stitched around it and a green vest with even more stitching, while the women were pink haired, with blue streaks in them, wearing dark red suits but with the golden vines as well as a purple vest.

"Who are you?!" one of the men demanded, standing from what looked like a throne, though he appeared just as average as the men and women around him.

"Who are we?" the Doctor scoffed, "Who are YOU? And why are you trying to steal the life force of the humans?"

The Professor just bowed her head, shaking it as she rubbed her forehead, "Doctor…did you REALLY pay NO attention at ALL in school?"

He would have pouted when a 'comeback' struck him, "Of course I did…to you," he added with a wink, making her smile.

"They're Cardians," the Professor explained, "A largely peaceful race but…" she shook her head, looking at them, "Quite a distance from home, what happened?"

The man, the king, if he was one, blinked, startled she knew of them, "We were travelling, having distributed the fruits of our harvests…"

The Doctor looked at the Professor, "They're an agricultural people," she added, "They specialize in trees and other plants that absorb the excess energy around them to help sustain a people, offering them good health and healing the ecosystems."

"Yes," the king nodded, "We were returning when our ship…" he looked around at it, "Simply stopped. We could not determine the cause of it, yet our readings indicate that our energy levels have depleted."

"Right," the Doctor nodded, recalling more about them now, "Your people invented spacecrafts more like solar-powered vessels than ones that rely on fuel. And you've run out?"

He nodded, "So it would seem," he stepped down to them, leading them across the room to the controls, to the readings, "We wish to return, our families need us, but we have not the energy to do so. We wished to borrow from the humans and…"

"Borrow the life energy from the humans, by using a bowling alley?" the Doctor eyed the man, not really sure how in the Universe they'd come up with_ that_.

"We have seen that it is an area where humans readily and repeatedly touch spherical objects," the king explained, turning to pick up what looked like a bowling ball.

"The energy storage containers," the Professor realized, "'Fuel cells.'"

They were round, JUST like a bowling ball, including the three slots for the fingers.

"We mixed them in with the…bowling balls?" he frowned at the word, "Hoping to collect enough to return home yet our readings show no improvement."

"That's because humans aren't like your people," the Professor turned to explain to him as the Doctor scanned the computer bank with the sonic, "They haven't been exposed to the energy increasing properties of your planet, you're draining them dry!"

The small gathering of aliens began to murmur, seeming disturbed by that.

"Ah ha!" the Doctor cheered, looking at the sonic, "Your energy stores are fine," he told the king, "Nearly full it would seem."

"But then why are we not…" the king began, frowning.

"Could we see your engine room?" he asked, smiling.

~8~

It had really been rather simple. It was much like when they'd met the Tritovores, the ship operated based on a crystal nucleus that stored energy meant to power it. The mainline crystallography had been knocked out of synch when they'd passed through the asteroid belt, which had kept the engines from connecting to its power source. Just a little jiggle here, a flash of sonic there, and they were back online.

The Cardians had thanked them profusely, apologizing for if they'd harmed the humans and transferred the unneeded energy that had been taken right back to their sources. Which the Time Lords were pleased to see when they returned to Earth, the humans all awake once more and ready to finish the match.

They'd won, of course, between the Doctor and the Professor, it was always an unbeatable team. Virginia had been pleased and they were happy to see the woman so cheerful. They had only really seen her out of sorts once, the first time they'd met her, but every other time she'd been so happy and full of life. They tended to think that it might have been because she was pleased to see them but…they couldn't always be there. And they wanted to make sure she'd be alright when they weren't there.

"So Ginny…" the Professor smiled, "Tell me about Leonard."

Virginia blushed a bit, "I don't know all that much about him really."

"Why not?" the Doctor asked as he looked down at the woman. She and the Professor were sitting on chairs across from each other with him leaning against the Professor's chair, his hands on the back of it.

"He's well…" she shook her head, looking down, "It wouldn't be proper for me to socialize with him outside of this group."

"Because?"

"He's…" she struggled, as though trying to come up with some reason, "He's a penniless Jew."

The Professor laughed, recalling reading descriptions of Virginia's relationship with her husband, how she'd called him that as well, which really didn't do anything to take away from the fact that she MARRIED the man anyway, so that little obstacle was already torn down, "That's all? What's wrong with that?"

"It just…" she couldn't seem to come up with a real excuse.

"Ginny," the Professor reached out to put a hand on hers, "You know he has a religion, if he's proud of it, then that means he has faith in something, it means he'll be able to believe in things that others can't prove or see."

"Yes and if he's poor," the Doctor continued, patting his pockets for emphasis that he and the Professor literally didn't have a coin to their name, "He'll be able to appreciate every single treasure life gives him and cherish it and protect it," he smiled down at the Professor, "Believe me, I know."

She smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her, Virginia looking at them a moment before catching sight of Leonard over their shoulder, the man looking away as she caught him staring.

And smiled.

A/N: To be honest, I don't know much about Virginia Woolf except she was a brilliant writer who sadly took her own life :( I'm basing this chapter on some information from Wikipedia, and the comments the Doctor made in the show. I mean NO offense to ANY Jewish person at ALL, the comment Virginia makes about Leonard was an actual way she described her fiancé during their engagement, 'a penniless Jew.' So, in this interpretation, given how happy she was with her husband, I wanted to make it seem like it was more society's view that was making her hesitate in pursuing him which wasn't a 'real' excuse :)

This chapter was semi-inspired by, of all things, Sailor Moon, for anyone who has ever seen it :) The aliens are based on 'villains' from one season named Alan and Ann, their species based on the monsters that they would send after people to steal their energy. No idea where it came from, just thought it sort of fit :)

And thanks for the suggestions! My list of chapter ideas is growing which is great :)

Next chapter: Easter Island


	22. Easter Island

Easter Island (11/11)

"Where are we going?" River asked as she was led to the doors of the TARDIS, her eyes covered by a cloth, excited.

Oh she couldn't begin to say how pleased she was to travel with the Doctor and Professor when they actually knew who she was. Well, they didn't exactly know who she was _to them_, but they DID know who she was in a biological sense, who her parents were, what her story was. Though, she had to admit, she_ did_ love travelling with the godparents version of the Time Lords. There was just something ridiculously funny about seeing the Doctor trying to be responsible, and amusing to see the Professor planning the dangerous trips.

The Doctor grinned as the Professor opened the doors of the TARDIS, the two of them leading her out, "Ta da!" the Doctor cheered, whipping off the blindfold.

"Welcome to Easter Island!" the Professor smiled as River looked around in awe, taking in the vast landscape, the incredible beauty of the island...when her gaze was caught by something a few feet away.

"It's the year 1311," the Doctor began as he walked, hand-in-hand with the Professor behind River, right up to one of the famous heads, "Home of the Rapa Nui people, and these...thingies," he patted the statue on the nose.

"They're called Moai," the Professor explained to River, "887 monolithic human figures with overly large heads, roughly about 3-8ths the size of their bodies, carved by the natives from rock between the years 1250 and 1500. In the future, nearly half of them will remain in the main quarry while hundreds more were moved all over the island onto platforms called ahu," she stated to smile, "Most archaeologists would believe that they are the deified ancestors of the peoples..."

"Should have known you'd turn this into a lecture," River groaned. It was typical for the Professor to do that in the time before she knew who she was to them, but after discovering her biology. It was like the Time Lady didn't quite know how to treat her yet so she treated her like a student, she truly lived up to her name in that regard.

"And a lesson in history," the Professor added, "Most THINK that they're the ancestors but...what do YOU think?"

River looked over at her, already knowing that it couldn't be the case or else the Professor wouldn't be bringing it up. She looked up at the statue again, then the Professor, then the Doctor for help...when she_ saw_ it. She blinked, looking between the statue and the Doctor...

Before laughing hysterically.

"There it is," the Professor smiled.

"Oi!" the Doctor pouted, crossing his arms, "It's not MY fault they're rubbish sculptors!"

"It's you!" River pointed at him, "The statues! They're of YOU! They're of him aren't they?" she looked at the Professor.

"We came here a little more than 50 years ago," she nodded.

"Helped them out with a bit of a locust problem..." the Doctor added.

"It's remarkable," River shook her head, staring at the Doctor.

"Yeah we are," he started to smile, before blinking, "What is exactly?"

"The statues," River glanced at one, "They look _exactly_ like you!"

"No they don't!" he frowned, "My head is NOT shaped like that!"

"It is now Mr. Frowny Face," the Professor laughed, pinching his cheek.

"Oh yeah," he smirked, stepping back and reaching out...

"Oh!" the Professor squealed, turning to the Doctor, wide eyed, "Did you just pinch my bum!?"

"What if I did?" he gave her a saucy smile.

Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she smirked as well, "I'd have to punish you."

"Professor..." River began, something catching her eye.

"Oh?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "And what are you going to do? Court-martial me?"

"I just might," the Professor gave him a playful look as she stepped closer, putting her arms around his neck, "You ought not pinch the bum of your commanding officer in front of the cadets."

"Doctor," River tried again.

"River's not a cadet and you are not my commanding officer," the Doctor pointed out, tapping her nose with his own.

"Oh I'm not am I?" the Professor raised an eyebrow, "Shall I be forced to pull rank on you soldier?"

"Oi, there's something..." River glanced back at them.

"Oh please do," he nodded, he'd actually come to like it when she 'pulled rank on him' in the centuries they'd been together without the Ponds.

"Well, who am I to disappoint my husband then?" the Professor smiled, leaning in to kiss him when...

"Daleks!" River shouted, startling them apart, "Honestly, is it _always_ going to be this difficult to get your attention when you start flirting?" she put her hands on her hips, "I was trying to tell you something."

"Oh," the Doctor blushed at having gotten so caught in the moment, "Sorry, what is it?"

River just pointed to the side.

They turned to see a horde of people, natives it seemed. The men were wearing grass skirts with grass hanging from string around their knees, the women wearing longer grass skirts with what seemed like bikini-tops of straw as well. The children though were garbed more in loincloths and draped dresses, all of them staring at the trio with wide eyes.

"Hello!" the Doctor cheered, waving, "This is River, the Professor, and I'm the Doctor..."

As soon as the last words were out of his mouth, the people all fell to their knees, their arms out before them, their faces to the ground, clearly bowing to the Professor and the Doctor.

River blinked and looked at the Professor, "Is this normal?" she asked.

The Professor just sighed and shook her head, "It would seem they've escalated their stories about us..."

The Doctor looked back at her, confused, "How so?"

The natives started to chant under their breath, River frowning as she tried to make out the muffled words, unclear despite her slightly advanced Human-Plus-Time Lord hearing. The actual Time Lords though...could hear and understand it just fine.

"It appears they think we're gods," the Professor remarked.

~8~

River tried her very best _not _to laugh at the sight of the Doctor and Professor sitting on two thrones on a platform, with the same grass and straw attire as the natives on…_over_ their clothes. The Doctor's beloved bowtie was even fastened OVER the grass necklace the natives had strung over him. There were tall grass 'crowns' on their heads with feathers in them, beads and other colored rocks strung throughout their straw clothing. They had been given a bone of some sort as well as a staff and literally carried from the TARDIS to the thrones on the shoulders of a few of the men…the Doctor was not happy about that as he firmly believed it meant one of the other men had also touched the Professor's bum.

She'd reassured him, of course, that if another man had even tried, even on accident, she'd have knocked his teeth out, which seemed to appease the Doctor if just a bit…though it didn't stop him from glaring at all the men that came near her. But then again, the Professor hadn't been light on the glares she sent the women when it came time to decorate their hands and faces in the traditional tribal markings. The Professor had grimaced, not really caring for makeup at all.

River had been thankful that whatever adventure they'd had before her hadn't included her, she did NOT want to be up there dressed even more ridiculous than the Doctor already was, and with paints made of crushed insects and mud on her face. She had been allowed to join them on the raised platform that the thrones had been set up on though, she was currently standing behind them, in between the thrones, watching as every single person formed a line, stepping up to the base of the platform, holding something above their head, before gently lying it down and moving away.

"What are they doing?" River frowned, eyeing them. She had a fairly good idea, but she wanted to be absolutely sure lest she offend someone.

"Making offerings to the gods for continued protection," the Doctor explained.

"But why is all of it…wood?" River shook her head. She would have expected it to bet things like food or plants or clothing or jewels…anything really, but it was all wood…

"Because they're going to try and kill us," the Professor said, leaning back in her throne as though she'd just commented on the color of the sky being blue.

"WHAT!?" River nearly screamed, had the Doctor not turned to cover her mouth with his hand.

"River please," he rolled his eyes, "We'd have thought it was obvious given the fact that the pile is strategically growing large enough to roast two people over it. Look they're even setting up a spit!"

River turned to see that indeed they were placing a long pole on two other stands. She shook her head and looked at them, "Why are you not worrying about this or trying to escape?!"

"Because that would be rude," the Doctor turned back to watch the proceedings, "It's their custom to believe that people as magnificent as us are gods, gods in human form. They believe we can't protect them on Earth and so they're preparing a way to allow us back to the spirit world."

"Still not seeing why you're so calm," River looked between them. She'd seen them when the other was in danger, she'd seen…well, she'd seen the Professor on a rampage to get the Doctor back once…it wasn't pretty by _any _stretch of the imagination.

Actually, it made her acutely aware of why Kovarian and the Silence had wanted to use the woman as a template for her training. She had been deadly, accurate, stealthy, and…unstoppable. She found herself actually relieved that the Professor had skewed the training the Silence had devised by limiting herself when they observed her. If SHE had been trained to be capable of what the Professor was…she shivered to think of what that would mean for the Universe.

The Doctor, would never take a life like hers, the child of his companions for he had endless hope that people could change, that mercy was deserved, that there was a way to save everyone.

The Professor…if push came to shove…she_ would_, because she understood better than anyone that not everyone would change just because they could, that mercy could sometimes lead to more deaths in the long run, that sometimes people just…couldn't be saved.

But she swore to herself she'd _never _put the Time Lady in a situation like that, not ever because she knew that while the woman would do it, it would kill her to do so and it would haunt her forever. But she _hadn't_ been trained as well as the Professor had, the Professor would _always _be a step ahead, and that was a VERY good thing. If the Silence _ever _got their hands on her again, tried to reprogram her to kill the Time Lords…the Professor would be able to stop her. Hopefully…more than likely…_without_ killing her.

"So let me get this straight…" River took a breath, "They want to release you to the heavens by burning you alive…and you're just going to let them?"

"Of course not," the Professor laughed, "I rather like this jacket, I'd hate to see it burned, and the Doctor's rather fond of his bowtie."

"So are you," the Doctor reached out and poked her in the side, "You said so yourself," he stuck his tongue out at her, "Bowties are cool."

"So you DO have a plan then?" River breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's more of a thing," the Doctor shrugged, crossing his leg over his other to continue watching as the natives began to light the wood on fire.

River rubbed her forehead, "Professor?"

The Professor just reached back and patted River's arm, "Yes I have a plan."

"And that would be?" she started shifting uneasily, seeing the native starting to cheer as the flames began to lick up the wood.

"You'll see."

"Hate you," River muttered as a line of men slowly made their way to the platform, rope in hand.

"No you don't," the Doctor smirked as he stood, holding out a hand to the Professor to help her up as well.

"And if you do," she winked back at River, "You'll love us in about ten seconds."

River frowned, watching as they held up their hands, stopping the row of people, the crowd silencing as they seemed eager to listen to the words of their gods.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor shouted, pulling out the sonic and flashing it at the pyre as the Professor fired a shot of her blaster at the wood, the dual reactions of the blast and the sonic increasing the vibrations of the blast sent the entire thing up in flames like a small explosion, light flaring out of it, making the natives cower back.

"Run!" the Professor grabbed River's hand and pulled her off, the Doctor running with them as they jumped off the platform and took off through the small village.

"Sorry!" the Doctor shouted as he bumped into a man on the way, sending him falling to the side.

"Don't apologize to the people who were just about to kill you!" River called as they made it out of the little village.

"It's not their fault," the Professor countered, "Though as an anthropological experience that was rather informative wasn't it?"

"So go write a paper on it AFTER we get to the TARDIS," River grumbled, taking the lead as she passed the Time Lords, now pulling them on.

~8~

"Well," the Doctor sighed as they reached the doors of the TARDIS, "That was rather anticlimactic wasn't it?"

River stared at him, "You were worshipped as gods, nearly burned to death, _and_ caused an explosion!"

"Normal day in the office then," the Professor had to agree, "Have to admit, I WAS hoping for something a bit more…well…more…"

It seemed the Doctor had rubbed off on her during the last century or so. While her latest body had always been eager for adventures, she actually found herself wanting the danger of it, the close calls and the dire straits. Oh she felt sorry for future companions if there ended up being two of them now.

River shook her head, managing to catch sight of something in the distance, "What, like that?" she pointed.

They looked over to see the entire village horde running across the field towards them, torches and spears and a number of other weapons in hand.

"Oh dear," the Doctor frowned.

"I think THEY hate us," the Professor had to laugh.

"Oh just get in!" River shoved them into the TARDIS doors, the box disappearing moments later, honestly, her godparents took SO much looking after.

A/N: Short I know :( I had so much outlined for this chapter but...as I was writing it...it just kept shortening itself :( I really couldn't see the Time Lords sticking around after escaping, knowing the tribe would try to keep killing them, and I couldn't see them waiting all that long to escape either knowing that the tribe might attack River in the process of trying to get to them. Even if they don't know she's their goddaughter here, she's still their Companions' daughter :)

Can anyone guess which movie this chapter was inspired by? :)

I'm going to try something new though. I've found that the time I'm spending writing these spin-off chapters has been not as much as I hoped, which might explain the short chapters. So what I'm going to try and do is to write at least a page-two pages a day to try and build up the meat of the story :) Here's hoping I can keep it up :)

Just a tiny blurb about the next chapter just as a little warning...it'll feature the AU Professor and 9th Doctor :) I don't believe you'd have to have read Rewritten to follow it, but I just wanted to put that out there so you'd know what was coming :)

Next chapter: Stewarts Galore


	23. Stewarts Galore

Stewarts Galore (9/AU 9)

"Do you think he'll like me?" the Professor wondered as she and the Doctor walked hand in hand through London, the Doctor absently swinging their arms between them

"No," he said instantly, laughing when he saw her pout, "He'll LOVE you. Like I do."

"Hopefully not as much as you do," she joked as they reached their destination, UNIT's headquarters.

"_No one_ could love you as much as I do," he told her quietly.

"Good," she nodded, "Because no one could love your schnoz as much as I do," she nudged him.

He just rolled his eyes and pushed the doors open, striding in as though he owned the place. She had to laugh when she caught sight of quite a few UNIT members staring at them in curiosity. They must look a sight. A big, brooding man in a black leather jacket, sharp featured, holding the hand of a petite blonde girl in a green dress with white daisies on it and brown boots, just walking through a rather secure area of London. Well, it was quite easy to get in when one had a sonic screwdriver and a piece of psychic paper…and a UNIT ID as the Doctor hadn't resigned.

"Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart!" the Doctor cheered, seeing JUST the man they were looking for speaking to a young woman holding a clipboard.

The Brigadier turned around, frowning as he took in the two people striding over to him, "Yes? Who are you?"

The Doctor smirked, "You know, if you weren't such a pompous self-opinionated idiot you'd have worked that out by now," he paused a moment and looked at the Professor, "We should reconsider calling you Katherine Stewart, you're FAR more brilliant than he is."

The Professor laughed, "He's a _human _Doctor, even YOU can't think as fast as me."

"Doctor?!" the Brigadier gaped at him, "Is it really you?"

"Yep," he laughed, slapping his cheeks a bit, "New face."

"I hardly recognized you," the Brigadier remarked, "Your accent...I thought you were just someone from the north come to join up."

"Oi! Lots of planets have a north!"

The Brigadier just laughed at that and held out a hand to shake his, "It's about time old chap!"

The Doctor beamed and shook the Brigadier's hand eagerly, excited, "Where are we then?"

The Brigadier shook his head, "If you weren't such an arrogant, self-righteous sod you'd have worked that out by now," he countered with a smirk.

"Oh I LIKE him," the Professor laughed, "Definitely _not _changing my name after that."

The Doctor pouted.

"And who is your lovely companion?" the Brigadier smiled, reaching out to kiss the back of the Professor's hand, inwardly smirking when he saw the Doctor glowering at him, almost sounding like he was growling as well.

"NOT a companion," the Doctor cut in, tugging the Professor back to his side, putting his arm around her shoulders as he smiled at her, "My Bonded."

"Bonded?"

"Um…wife?" the Professor supplied, knowing that it was as close as a human could get in defining what she was to the Doctor, even though she was FAR more than that.

The Brigadier shook his head at the Doctor, "I dare say you disappoint me Doctor. I should have liked to attend the wedding but no matter, follow me," he turned to lead them down a corridor, guiding them through the base and into a rather nice office.

"You've redecorated again," the Doctor remarked, looking around, "I don't like it. It's worse than before!"

"I think it's lovely," the Professor countered, smiling at the Brigadier who looked just a little irritated with the Doctor. Sometimes there was just no pleasing the man.

'_YOU please me,_' the Doctor's voice cut in her mind, '_ALL the time,_' he smirked, pulling her closer, '_In EVERY way._'

She blushed rather terribly at that implication.

Which just made him beam in a smug way, he really did LOVE seeing that shade of red on her cheeks.

"To celebrate!" the Brigadier cheered, handing them each a small glass of sherry he'd poured while the Doctor looked around and teased the Professor.

"Oh…" the Professor smiled bashfully, "I um…I _really_ shouldn't," she moved to put the glass down.

"Oh no," the Doctor smirked, stopping her with a gentle hand, "You really _should_."

"Doctor," she huffed a little, before whispering to him, "You _know_ how I get when I drink!"

"Yes I do," he nodded, "Yes, I do," his smirk turning more devious as his eyes seemed to darken with another emotion, "And I find it very…_pleasing_…as well."

She let out a mock-offended huff and whacked him lightly on the chest. She was a rather…flirty drunk. They'd recently picked up a new companion, Jack Harkness, from 1941 and the man had somehow talked them into a drinking competition. It had ended up…well…Jack was STILL sleeping off his hangover it had been_ that_ wild. They'd discovered that THIS version of her was even more…focused on the Doctor than she normally was. And quite the lightweight apparently. It was like she only needed one whiff of alcohol and she'd end up drunk.

Which was something the Doctor apparently LOVED.

She just put her drink down, best not scar the poor Brigadier just yet. It was clearly early-ish in the man's timeline, he looked rather young, but still very well off in UNIT. She honestly wasn't sure what point in the man's timeline they had popped up in, what adventures he'd had or would have. The Doctor was rather bad at keeping track.

"So," the Doctor began, moving to sit on a chair, tugging the Professor down beside him as the Brigadier took a seat at his desk, "What's new with you Ally."

"Don't call me Ally," the Brigadier said, before continuing, "I've recently been promoted in UNIT, not by rank but I've been given more responsibility, more control over the workings, more time to effectively train the soldiers."

The Professor nodded, "You're having some trouble aren't you?"

That 'effectively' just then, and the fact he needed time to do it left her wondering.

He sighed, "Yes, quite a few of our new recruits can't seem to pass weapons control as quickly as we'd like."

"They've never even touched a gun before then?" she guessed.

"Not at all."

She thought a moment, "Try giving them a desk or a shelf."

The Brigadier blinked, "A…what?"

"Set them up behind a desk or put a shelf in front of them," she explained, "Just something with a flat surface that they can rest their guns on. Have them fire at a target a few times, letting them see how the position of the gun reaches the target. Then…remove the desk but tell them to imagine that flat surface is still there."

The Brigadier blinked again, "That is…genius!"

The Professor smiled at the praise, she was rather hoping she could impress the Brigadier. The Doctor had named her after the man and claimed it was because the man's brilliance reminded him of her. She'd hoped to show off just a little of that, prove that they were both deserving of the Doctor's praise.

"Of course she is," the Doctor beamed at her, "She could take YOU out Ally."

"Don't call me Ally," the Brigadier shook his head, "What do you mean, take me out? Take me out where?"

The Doctor laughed.

"He means, I could best you in combat," the Professor explained.

The Brigadier eyed her, "I beg your pardon my dear, but I hardly think _you'd_ be able to do _that_. I have spent a good many years building up my military prowess and reaching the rank I am now. You…" he eyed her, "You look as though you couldn't hurt a fly."

"Don't let the pretty flower dress fool you," the Doctor countered, sounding so serious that the Brigadier gave pause, "She'd have you on your back in 5 seconds."

"3," the Professor corrected, though she shifted a bit. She wasn't particularly fond of being able to do that.

'_Unless it's me though,_' the Doctor's voice spoke in her mind, '_Then you're all too eager._'

She blushed even worse this time.

'_Stop that!_' she whisper-hissed to him silently.

"Why do you say…" the Brigadier began, when his door suddenly flew open.

"Daddy!" a small yellow and pink blur whizzed past the Time Lords and launched itself into the Brigadier's arms, making him laugh.

"Hello Kate," the Brigadier smiled at the small girl they could now see had climbed into his lap, the man turning her to sit more comfortably. She was adorable, short blond hair, slightly bobbed, with wide brown eyes, and…a miniature UNIT uniform on.

"Who're they?" Kate asked, looking between her father and the Time Lords.

"Kate," he began, "Meet…the Doctor!"

Kate's eyes widened as she stared at the man, her little mouth dropping open, "Really?"

"Hello," the Doctor grinned and waved, setting down his drink, "And who might you be?"

"I'm Katherine Stewart!" the girl cheered.

"Well what do you know," the Professor smiled, leaning forward, "So am I."

"Stewarts galore," the Doctor laughed, looking at the three 'Stewarts' before him.

"Who are you?" Kate looked up at the Professor.

"I'm the Professor," she reached out a hand to shake Kate's, "Pleased to meet you."

"Are you going to work for UNIT too?" Kate asked the Professor, making the connection between her title and the Doctor's and what that might mean about the woman's species, what a clever girl.

"Oh, I'm not sure."

"Please do," Kate pleaded, "When I'm all grown up, I'm gonna run UNIT!"

"Oh are you?"

Kate nodded, "I'm gonna be the best soldier ever!"

The Professor's smile fell at that.

The Doctor reached out and took her hand, knowing where her mind had gone, "You know Kate, I think your dad's got that title taken, don't you think?" he asked the girl.

"Oh yes," she nodded eagerly, "Daddy's the best!"

"So…YOU need something different then, don't you?" he smiled, "You're a clever girl, much cleverer than I've seen in little girls…"

"I'm not little!" she pouted, crossing her arms, "I'm 6!"

The Doctor chuckled at that as the Professor watched him interacting with the child with a small smile, "Well, then, you're a very clever girl then. How about you use what's in there…" he poked her forehead, "Instead?"

Kate blinked, trying to work out what he meant, "You mean…be a scientist?"

UNIT DID have lots and lots of them, but none of them were very good, or nice, at least in her opinion. They kept treating her like she was 5!

"Science leads," the Brigadier nodded, sending a small smile to the Doctor…

When something suddenly exploded outside, shattering the windows.

The Brigadier immediately jumped off his chair and ducked around behind his desk, putting Kate down there with express instructions to hide before he leapt up and ran to the window, looking out at the clearing smoke with the Time Lords joining him.

"Blasted Sontarans!" he muttered, staring out at he saw the Sontaran's in a line, marching towards UNIT. This must have been the hundredth time they'd tried to attack. According to their records, the Sontarans seemed to think UNIT was the Earth's ONLY line of defense against aliens and saw it as a strategic advantage to take it out. They failed almost every time, thankfully, but it was getting irritating, especially since he didn't often get to see his daughter with all the work he did and now she was under attack too!

"Why are the Sontarans here?" the Doctor frowned.

"Isn't it obvious?" the Professor countered as the Brigadier went to answer, "UNIT defends the Earth against aliens. They're aliens. Who else would they attack to get a free shot at the Earth?"

"Huh," the Doctor mumbled, squinting out at the approaching army.

"I must go gather the soldiers," the Brigadier made to leave.

"No," the Professor called, looking out the window as the man turned back, "If you do that and attack, even if you win, they'll keep coming because Sontarans are never defeated in a _war_, a _battle_ yes…"

"We cannot just let them attack us!"

"Let me talk to them," she turned around.

"Professor…" the Doctor shook his head, she was doing much better in dealing with aliens, but he still didn't want to push her and Sontarans were the most hostile ones he'd come across, besides the Daleks of course.

"I can do it," she nodded, taking a breath, "Besides…they'll listen to me."

"Why?" the Brigadier frowned, not entirely believing the aliens would listen to her.

The Doctor sighed, "Remember how I said she could have you disarmed in 5 seconds Ally?" he looked at the Brigadier.

"Don't call me Ally," he repeated, but nodded, "And what's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, THEY know it too," the Doctor continued, "They'll listen to her as a fellow soldier."

"Soldier?" the Brigadier frowned.

The Professor just sighed and headed out of the office, the Doctor close behind with the Brigadier following, the man half trying to get Kate, who had latched onto the back of his clothes, to go stand with the other soldiers. The Professor walked past the line of them as the Brigadier called for them to hold their fire a moment, and strode right up to a few feet ahead of the soldiers, the Doctor and Brigadier with her, Kate thankfully staying back.

The Sontarans stopped right before the Professor.

"I wish to look upon the face of my enemy," the Professor called.

One Sontaran stepped forward and pulled its helmet off, "I am Stel the War Bringer!" he huffed, slamming his fist to his chest, "Sontar-ha!"

The Professor nodded, straightening her shoulders, "And I am the Professor of Gallifrey."

The reaction was immediate.

The Sontarans took a step back, before they all removed their helmets and stared at her, "You cannot be!" Stel shouted, "The Professor fell during the most glorious Time War."

She frowned at hearing the war called glorious but continued, "I survived, as you know, a soldier never gives up..."

"Sontar-ha!" the Sontarans cheered in agreement, pounding their fists to their chests.

"From one soldier to another, I ask you to turn back and leave the Earth be."

Stel laughed, "You ask what you know cannot be. Sontarans never turn their back on an attack!"

"Sontarans also do not like to be defeated…"

"We shall never be defeated!" Stel cried.

"Sontar-ha!"

The Professor rolled her eyes at them, "Please, in the name of your honor, turn back and…"

"We find honor in battle!"

"Sontar-ha!"

"Fine," the Professor cut in with a huff, a bit impatient with them, "You stay and continue to attack UNIT, and you'll face ME as I shall be here to protect it."

Stel actually seemed to swallow at that, something which shocked the Brigadier…the Sontaran actually seemed…_afraid_.

"A true soldier knows how to pick his battles," the Professor continued, "Your army…against me. What will it be?"

Stel stiffened, "Soldiers withdraw!" he gave the order before turning back to the Professor and half-bowing, "One day I hope that you and I shall meet on the field of battle, and I will destroy you for the glory of the Sontaran Empire."

The Professor shook her head, amused, as the little walking baked potato just turned and walked off with the Sontarans, the army teleporting away.

"What the deuce!?" the Brigadier breathed, staring at the Professor.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor cheered, rushing forward to pull her into his arms, spinning her around. Leave it to her to send an army away without a drop of blood spilled.

"Glad that worked," the Professor breathed, relieved, she was REALLY hoping that she wouldn't have had to fight the Sontarans.

"How did you DO that?" the Brigadier just stared more.

"She's just amazing," the Doctor wound his arm around her waist, holding her close.

"I've um…" the Professor began, careful of what to say.

She could tell that the Brigadier might have a few more adventures with past incarnations of the Doctor and clearly he hadn't known anything about the Time War, despite the Sontaran's mentioning it. She could tell from the armor that these particular Sontarans were future versions of the species, seeming to have gone back in time somehow to try and attack the Earth in its past when it was weaker. She had to be careful what she said so that the Brigadier wouldn't mention it to any other Doctors, if he DID mention HER, she could assume the Doctor would think he was just talking about any old professor, which was lucky for her that her title was so widely used.

"I've earned the respect of the Sontarans over the years," she shrugged, "They listen to me a little."

The Brigadier just shook his head, a wide grin on his face, "Would you _please _consider working for us as well my dear?" he requested, "You and the Doctor on our side…the Earth would have no better protection."

"Oh it's got the best protection ever," the Doctor countered, "It's got you Ally!"

"Don't call me Ally."

A/N: Lol, I just really wanted to end it there :) I loved how the 9th Doctor kept getting Mickey's name wrong, but I also felt like it was a sort of joking nickname sort of thing. So I wanted to do a little of the same here with the Brig :)

And yup! Pirates of the Caribbean it was :)

Next chatper: Felspoon


	24. Felspoon

Felspoon (10/10)

It was their first trip after bringing Donna home, upon the Professor's request, as a way to honor the ginger woman who had saved all their lives and nearly lost her own. He'd been thrilled to see her want to do this for that reason, pleased to know Donna was equally as important to the Professor as the ginger had been to him, and relieved that, now, the Professor could show it. It had been the most terrifying experience of his life to see the Professor like that, lying on the floor of the TARDIS, unmoving, dead and he couldn't begin to say how much he loved the TARDIS for bringing her back, nor how much he owed Donna for her humanity allowing the Professor to break through the shell her regeneration had forced her into.

He smiled widely as he laid there, on an old blanket that had seen better days, the Professor with her head on his stomach, the two of them lying on their backs. They'd just had a picnic on top of a moving mountain. Felspoon was famous for them, mountains that moved. Really, they didn't move so much as sway in the breeze. The Professor had been eager to rock climb, from the base to a good distance up, a nice little ledge wide enough for them to be comfortable without fear of falling off it, the perfect place for a picnic. The TARDIS had met them there, programmed to materialize there and wait for them, the picnic basket and blanket safe inside her. It was rather lucky she'd done that, each time the mountain swayed, he ended up nearly falling off it and the Professor couldn't even look down she was afraid of heights, he'd had to keep right beside her to keep her going. For being the one to suggest climbing the mountain, she was still deathly afraid of heights and his constant near slipping didn't help her any.

For how easily he was able to hold onto her all his life, he was surprisingly bad at holding onto other things, butterfingers, that was him.

But the Professor had always been there, as she had through his whole life, offering her hand to hold, that hand to pull him up and keep him with her. And he'd felt her hand too. She'd lost the fingerless gloves so it was all skin, something he had to admit he loved, he loved her hands. They were so lovely, smooth, with long elegant fingers that he knew were perfect for playing instruments, long, just like her legs and…

"I am not wearing a skirt in my next body Theta," she cut into his wandering thoughts.

"I didn't say anything about a skirt," he defended.

"Whenever you think about my legs that is where your mind goes, to me in a skirt," she shifted her head to look at him.

He had the decency to blush a bit at that, "I can't help it," he shrugged, he should probably feel more embarrassed by that, but she was actively and openly talking about her feelings and his now so he was just thrilled about that.

"Fair dos," she sighed, turning her head back and closing her eyes, "I think about your hair quite often too."

He blinked and shifted, looking down at her, "Really?"

"Mhmm," she nodded absently.

He grinned widely at that, about to open his mouth and comment on her hair…

When a loud screech reached them.

The Professor was on her feet in an instant, her blaster out, looking around as he scrambled up, the two of them looking up as the screech sounded again, only to see a giant…bird thing…flying towards them. It looked like an eagle, but with an owl's eyes and an emu's sharp beak, rather creepy really, and rather large, and rather heading right towards them.

"Duck!" the Professor shouted, shoving him to the side as she fired her blaster at it, moving to the side to try and get a better spot.

The Doctor hit the ground with an oomph and rolled over, seeing the Professor aiming her blaster carefully and had to smile a bit. The old her would have just fired at the bird to kill, not caring why it might be attacking them, only seeing an attack, but this Professor, she really was so different, she was trying not to kill it, but just scare it away. That last blast, if she had wanted to, would have hit the bird, but it missed, on purpose he knew.

And then he realized, she was currently standing there, trying not to hurt the beast too much as it dove for her. And, even though he knew she was more than capable of taking care, not only of him but, of herself as well, his mind didn't see that. He just saw a bird about to attack his Bonded, and ran…

"Kata!" he called, shoving HER to the side this time…getting hit by the bird in the process…

Well, not HIT really…more like…grabbed…and lifted into the air…kidnapped, yes, that would be a better word to describe it. Kidnapped by a giant eagle-owl-emu thing…

"You are _kidding _me aren't you!?" the Professor shouted up at him as he was taken higher and higher, further and further away, the Professor putting her blaster away, knowing she couldn't strike the bird at all now without worrying about it dropping him, "What were you thinking?!"

The Doctor struggled a little bit, before realizing if he struggled enough and the bird dropped him…he'd fall…quite a fair distance, and stilled, "I was thinking 'Not my Bonded!'"

"I had a blaster Theta!" she yelled up to him, pointing at her hip.

"I realize that now thanks," he rolled his eyes, before the bird started to beat its wings more, starting to move back, away from her, "No, no, no, no, no, no what are you doing?!" he called to it, "Bring me back!" but the bird just turned, flying away.

"Theta!"

"Help!" he shouted as the bird flew off into the sun, taking him with it.

The Professor just shook her head, "Every time," she muttered to herself.

Every time they went anywhere he was always getting into all sorts of trouble.

She sighed, turning to pack up the picnic and the blanket, rushing to the TARDIS that was parked only a few feet away, now she just had to use the Emergency Programs to track the box's wayward pilot, get her there, and fight off a vicious bird…

Wonderful.

~8~

"Oi!" the Doctor shouted as he was dropped unceremoniously into a mess of twigs and branches and leaves…a nest, clearly, with three rather large eggs around him, "What was THAT for!?" he called up to the bird, brushing off his suit as it screeched at him.

He just looked at it, "Oh you really are kidding me," he hung his head, shaking it, apparently mummy dearest expected her eggs to hatch any minute now and the babies would be hungry…

Why did every sort of new born creature have to be carnivorous?

~8~

The Professor ran around the console, the TARDIS having picked up the Doctor on the scanners, the only two hearted life form for miles, well, on the planet probably, but she had little time to think on that as she worked on getting the box to materialize around him, not wanting to risk the bird trying to attack her or him as well…

Only for warning lights to go off on the monitor, "Oh what now?" she huffed, running to them, frowning when she saw the TARDIS refusing to land, "What? Why!?"

'Weight overload' started flashing.

She blinked, before closing her eyes, the box was too heavy. Whatever branch that bird has chosen to make its nest on, was sturdy enough to just about support the bird, its babies, and some food…but little else. Landing the TARDIS there, even for a moment, would cause the branch to snap before it could fully materialize and save the Doctor and she was not about to let him do something daft like jump out of the next hoping she could maneuver the box beneath him so he could land in the swimming pool.

"What to do," she muttered to herself, moving to sit back on the captain's chair, crossing her arms as she thought about it.

Well, she couldn't materialize the TARDIS there but…maybe she could teleport there herself? And teleport out with the Doctor? That wouldn't work though for two reasons. The first was that she recognized the species of the bird, it was endangered. And Felspoon took the protection of endangered species very seriously. They were among the first planets to install disruptors around the natural habitats of its species, small things that could prevent people from easily teleporting to those areas and hunting the species.

Even if she could make a teleporter, she couldn't get up there with it…

And the second issue…she only had time, even with how fast she could think, to make a teleport that worked with only one trip. She'd made one like that in the Academy and had gotten rather proficient in it, she could whip it up in no time…but that still left the issue of what to do?

If she managed to get the Doctor to knock out the teleporter, she could teleport up…but they'd both be stuck or have to climb down. If she climbed up and the Doctor soniced it off, they could teleport down but that…that would mean having to climb up a mountain by herself.

She hated heights, she really did. The only time she could bear it was when the Doctor was there. She supposed, this version of her, the old her, had less of an issue with it, could push it aside more, and it had carried over, but…it was slowly fading. She'd suggested rock climbing before she even realized it meant they'd have to climb up a mountain. But the Doctor had been there, every step of the way, telling her to keep looking up, to not look down, that he'd be there for her at all times, that he wouldn't let her fall. It wasn't so bad the going up, you had to look up to see where you were going, so if you only did that…it wasn't so bad. It was when you looked down…THAT was when it hit you.

The Doctor had put himself in her line of vision so, IF she ever looked down, not that she ever did, he would be the only thing she saw. But she didn't look down, she never did, it was the only way for her to make it up something was to not look at just how far up she was.

She'd never be able to make it up to the Doctor without him there.

She bit her lip…but…she _had_ to, didn't she?

There had been times, where she'd climbed things in a rush to get to him, not even realizing she'd done it or how far she'd gone till she'd reached him again. THEN it hit her and she'd be terrified to climb back down, but…she'd done it. For him. She'd do anything for him.

She took a breath, "Come on old girl," she got up, heading to the controls, "Take me as far up the mountain as you can land."

If she didn't look down…if she just focused on the Doctor…she'd be ok.

She hoped.

~8~

The Doctor tensed, feeling a shift from the Professor, feeling…fear.

'_Kata…what are you doing?!_' he called to her, alarmed, seeing her plan, seeing she was actually, at that very moment, climbing up the mountain towards him. He ran to the edge of the nest, climbing as much over the edge of it as he could go without the bird screeching at him, and looked down, he could see her. Luckily there had been a small ledge halfway up that the TARDIS had managed to land on sturdily, with enough space for the Professor to get out, NOT looking down, and climb.

He saw her look up, seeming to spot him, '_Saving your life,_' she remarked, '_Ok with that are you?_'

'_But Kata, it's a mountain! There's a giant bird! And eggs! And a mountain! And heights! And it's a mountain!_'

'_Yes I heard you the first time,_' she said, tense, he could feel it, she was terrified.

'_Just look at me Kata,_' he called, watching her climbing, watching her looking up at him, '_Just focus on me, I'm here, I won't let anything happen._'

'_I know,_' she replied, her mental voice shaking.

He watched, closely, his eyes glued to her the nearer and nearer she came…when a cracking noise behind him pulled his gaze away.

'_Kata…_'

'_Yes?_' she strained.

'_The eggs are hatching._'

'_Wonderful,_' she bit out, '_Almost there…_'

He looked over the edge to see her only a few feet away…but then so did the bird which screeched at her, the loudness of it making her flinch and cling to the wall, "OI!" he shouted at it, lifting his sonic and turning it onto as high a pitch as it could go, making the bird twitch in pain as it screeched, the hatchlings, nearly halfway out of their shells, shifting in discomfort as well.

"Theta!" she called, her hand appearing on the top of the nest. He ran over and grabbed her hand, pulling her, shaking into the nest with him.

"Oh God," he breathed, hugging her to him, "You're alright," and kissed her.

"We need to teleport out," she told him, holding up the small device she'd made.

He looked at it, then her, then it, then her again, before rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah…about that…"

She stared at him, "What did you do?!"

"That pitch," he held up the sonic, "It disrupted the teleport blocks…"

She stared at him, getting what he was saying, "But only to teleport IN."

"Yes," he said, wincing as he saw her jaw tense in irritation, "But! We can still get out of this."

"No," she shook her head, already knowing what the only way out of it was with the bird and the hatchlings now completely free. It was either she kill the birds with her blaster, something she, admittedly didn't want to do to an endangered species, or…they jump, just enough to get out of the teleport field, and teleport back to the TARDIS.

"We have to."

"No!" she shook her head, "I am not jumping out of a nest! I barely made it up here Theta and…"

He kissed her quickly, seeing a hint of tears in her eyes, she really was upset and terribly shaken by what she'd had to do, for him, and he knew this was too much to ask of her, but they had no choice, "I promise," he whispered as he pulled back, "We'll be fine," he lifted her wrist device and soniced it, "Trust me Kata, I will never let anything hurt you."

She swallowed hard, "I'm…" she struggled to get it out, "I'm scared."

"I know," he cupped her face, "But I'll be here, you'll be in my arms the entire time, I won't let go, not ever. Trust me."

She took a breath, he had to bring up trust didn't he? "Always," she whispered.

He beamed at her, taking her hand and pulling her up onto the edge of the nest, the birds starting to screech and try to nip at them, "Allons-y!" he called, grabbing her into his arms as she closed her eyes tight, the two of them jumping off the next. He held up the sonic as they fell, the Professor still in his arms, as he promised, and flashed it as soon as they were past the field…

The two of them disappearing in a crackle of light…

~8~

There was a splash as two objects landed in the sparkling pool of the TARDIS, rushing to the surface and coughing.

"Not quite the landing I was expecting…" the Doctor breathed, panting as he looked at the Professor, in his arms still.

"Where did you THINK we'd land?" she huffed, pushing her soaking wet hair out of her face, her pony tail had fallen in front of her face.

"To be honest," he blushed a bit, "Somewhere softer, more…bouncy…"

"The bed?" she stared at him as though he'd gone mad, before shaking her head and heading towards the ladder to get out.

He pouted at how she was leaving, "Where are you going?"

"To dry out my blaster," she remarked, huffing as she pulled it out, the poor thing whirring sickly, sparking a bit too, "And to waterproof it apparently."

He shook his head and swam over to the edge where she was standing, trying NOT to let his eyes linger too long on how her clothes were clinging to her…

"Help?" he held out a hand to her, as though he wanted help getting out of the pool, despite the ladder being only two feet away.

She rolled her eyes but reached out and took his hand…

Only for him to pull her back into the pool.

"Theta!" she shouted as she surfaced again.

He just laughed and grinned widely at having gotten the one-up on her.

A/N: :) One request was for Felspoon :) I know that the request also had the Doctor getting jealous at one point, but I've got an idea in mind for another chapter where that works out so I wanted to save it for that :) Hope that's ok! This is the first adventure after the Crucible/Journey's End, so I can see the Professor as being conflicted in her personality, to go from the soldier who forced herself to face everything, even heights, to not having to force herself, might make her more of a 'suggest something you know scares you but then you realize that it really _does_ scare you' sort of thing. Like when you see an awesome rollercoaster and are like 'I'm SO doing that!' but as you wait on line you realize, 'Wait a minute...I hate loop-de-loop coasters...get me out of here!' :)

And now for two quick things, first...sorry this chapter was late, my last exam was the day this was meant to be posted and I needed to work on that :( -sigh- stupid school. But exams are over so yay!

And the second thing, just so you know, I'm going to be holding off on updating this story for the next...month and a half? As you may know, the main series, the Academic Series, will be back in only a couple days and I want to focus on that and then the Lunar Cycle first and foremost over the spin-offs so both Recollections and TAOSAT will be pushed till probably July, when both series will be over before I update them again. But then I'll be back with...

Next chapter: The Archbishop of Canterbury

Just some quick notes on reviews...

Thanks! I'm glad you like the stories and you're right that song does fit them very well :) Awww :)

The previous chapter was based on my AU story 'Rewritten,' which is a 'what-if' the Doctor found the Professor in his 9th self in the episode Rose instead of as his 10th self in School Reunion. It's available on my profile :)


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